Yoo Hongjun Explains the Art of Gyeomjae on His 350th Birth Anniversary: "Before 70 Was Just a Preview"

Special Lecture Marks Reopening of the National Museum Calligraphy and Painting Gallery

Spotlight on "Sinmyo Year Album of Mount Geumgang" and "Bakyeon Falls"

At a special lecture held to commemorate both the reopening of the Calligraphy and Painting Gallery at the National Museum of Korea and the 350th anniversary of the birth of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea, explained the background behind the emergence of the 'true-view' landscape painting in the Joseon Dynasty.

Yonhap News

Director Yoo, speaking at the lecture titled “The Life and Art of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon,” held on March 10 at the Yong Theater of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, stated that after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, Joseon scholars began to view China, now ruled by the Manchus, from a different perspective. As a result, the connection with the Chinese painting style naturally weakened. He explained that this shift created an environment in which Silhak (practical learning) emerged in scholarship and 'true-view' landscape painting emerged in art.

Director Yoo assessed that while landscape painting had previously been created by referencing Chinese painting manuals, it was under Jeong Seon that artists transitioned to depicting the actual mountains and streams of Joseon. He noted that it was through Jeong Seon that painting, which captured the nature and sentiment of Joseon from a personal perspective, became firmly established.

The lecture also emphasized that Jeong Seon's artistic world reached its peak in his later years. Director Yoo remarked, “Jeong Seon’s true greatness began at age 70,” citing works such as “Panoramic View of Mount Geumgang,” “Clearing After Rain at Mt. Inwang,” and “Bakyeon Falls” as examples. He explained that Jeong Seon's brushwork and use of ink became more mature during his later years.

This lecture was held in conjunction with the first exhibition following the reopening of the Calligraphy and Painting Gallery at the National Museum of Korea. The exhibition features Jeong Seon's representative works, including the “Sinmyo Year Album of Mount Geumgang” series and the late masterpiece “Bakyeon Falls.”

The Yong Theater, which seats approximately 800 people, was mostly filled with visitors. After the lecture, many attendees lined up to have Director Yoo sign his book. During the lecture, Director Yoo mentioned an early work, “Ongcheon,” highlighting the depiction of a donkey’s hind legs and tail turning along a cliff path, and explained, “Such an expression is only possible when the subject is completely mastered.”

He also shared a personal anecdote about meeting his current spouse for the first time in front of this painting, eliciting laughter from the audience.

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