Unexpected Interest in Korean Antique Artworks at Auction... Owner Holds 170 Billion Won Painting Collection

Estimated Auction Price Around $15,000 to $25,000
Previously "Empire of Light" Sold for About 170 Billion Won
Sets Record as Highest-Priced Magritte Work

At a recent auction, Korean antique art pieces owned by the collector of Ren? Magritte's 'Empire of Light,' which sold for about 160 billion won, were put up for auction in New York, USA. On the 25th, Yonhap News reported that a 'Chaekgado' presumed to have been painted by Lee Taek-gyun (1808??), a Joseon court painter, was submitted to the Mika Erteg?n Collection auction held by auction house Christie's in New York on the 13th of next month.

This auction is the third one featuring the "Mika Collection," the personal collection of Mika Erteg?n (1924?2023), a Romanian-born designer and philanthropist. The "Chaekgado" up for auction is a 10-panel folding screen meticulously depicting bookshelves filled with books, stationery, and antiques. A similar Chaekgado folding screen is also held at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States. Courtesy of Christie's

This auction is the third auction targeting the 'Mika Collection,' the collection of Mika Erteg?n (1924?2023), a Romanian-born designer and philanthropist. The 'Chaekgado' in the auction is a ten-panel folding screen meticulously depicting various books, stationery, colorful ceramics, and objects such as narcissus flowers and fruits arranged on a scholar's desk, known as Chaekgado or Chaekgeori.

Lee Taek-gyun was a Joseon dynasty court painter and a master of Chaekgado. A similar Chaekgeori folding screen is currently held at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States. The estimated auction price is $15,000 to $25,000 (approximately 21 million to 35 million won). Christie's described this Chaekgado as "the only Korean antique art piece owned by Erteg?n, which was displayed in his New York townhouse," and "it is presumed to have been purchased from antique shops in Paris, France, or London, England." Besides the Chaekgado, this third auction is expected to showcase a wide range of artworks and objects harmoniously spanning various media and periods across different categories.

Previously, the first and second auctions held on the 19th and 20th of this month recorded a total sales amount of $189 million (approximately 265 billion won). Notably, in the first auction, the painting 'Empire of Light' (1954) by Belgian surrealist painter Ren? Magritte sold for $121.16 million (approximately 169 billion won) including fees, setting the highest price ever for a surrealist artwork.

Ren? Magritte's "Empire of Light," sold at auction on the 19th. Through this auction, it became the most expensive painting among his works. Photo by Christie's

With this auction, Magritte became the 16th artist in history to have a work sold for over $100 million (approximately 139 billion won). According to Artprice, a French art market analysis firm, artists who set this record before Magritte include Leonardo da Vinci, Gustav Klimt, Amedeo Modigliani, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Pablo Picasso. However, no artist has achieved this record during their lifetime so far.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.