My Impression of Korea - Korea.net

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CULTURE The Gansong Art Museum Seongbuk Elementary School Hansung University Subway Station, Line 4 4 How to Get There The Gansong Art Museum is located in Seongbuk-dong, northern Seoul. To get to the museum take the subway to Hansung University Subway Station, Line 4. The museum is a five-minute taxi ride away. Joseon Painters Bring Crowds to Gansong Museum BY JEAN OH KOREA HERALD STAFF WIRTER Gansong Art Museum Jeongi’s “Maehwaseook” (A library in the apricot woods) Early into the second day of Gansong Art Museum’s long-awaited fall exhibition, visitors continue to crowd the first and second floors of the building. Eager to catch a glimpse of the works of some of the Joseon Dynasty’s finest artists, viewers wait patiently in line, peering into the wavering glass cases. Just four months ago on the second day of Gansong’s spring exhibition — which showcased a series of works by famed painter Jang Seung-up and his contemporaries — the museum was comparatively empty. No long lines, no need to crane one’s neck to get a look at the paintings, Gansong was a temple of peace and beauty. This time, however, is an entirely different story. Choi Wan-su, representative of the museum attributed the overwhelming turnout to the popularity of late Joseon Dynasty artist Shin Yun-bok, whose art was on display. “I feel that this year, because Shin Yun-bok is already a prominent artist, I think that it had an influence on the number of visitors who came,” he said. This seems to be the year of Shin: He is the subject of the currently-airing SBS drama “The Painter of Wind,” a movie about him is slated to hit the big screen in November and his art was the center of attention at Gansong. “Our bestselling art poster is Hyewon’s ‘Miindo,’” said the representative, referring to Shin by his pseudonym, as well as to one of his masterpieces, “Miindo (Portrait of a Beautiful Woman).” According to him, the museum did not plan their exhibition around Shin Yun-bok or draw inspiration from the novel-turned-drama “The Painter of Wind.” In fact, both Shin and Kim’s work made up fraction of an exhibition brimming with painting and writing that span the Joseon Dynasty. Titled, “The 70th Anniversary of Bohwagak,” the exhibit celebrated the rich history of Gansong, formerly called Bohwagak meaning “a house with treasures of Joseon,” by taking stock of the research that has been conducted over the years and using it to select key works from the Joseon Dynasty. Though the exhibition as a whole astounded with its impressive collection of calligraphic works and elegant paintings, one could not help but be drawn to both Shin and Kim’s art. Shin’s “Miindo (Portrait of a Beautiful Woman),” in particular, captivated. This portrait of a woman — Kim Hong-do’s “Masangcheongaeng” (Listening to an oriole from atop a horse) 26 KOREA NOVEMBER 2008 NOVEMBER 2008 KOREA 27
SBS Actors Park Shin-yang (left) and Moon Geun-young play the roles of Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok, respectively, in the drama “The Painter of the Wind” CULTURE Shin Yun-bok’s “Juyucheonggang” (Enjoying boating on a clear river) presumably a gisaeng (Korean geisha) — artfully captured the nuances of the female heart. Expressing a certain poignancy, the painting lacked the usual sly coquetry that one attributes to gisaeng. The subject’s gaze channel a flitting sadness, contained within the butterfly arch of her delicate brows. Her willowy hands also clasp the decorative beads on her vest in a pensive manner. Fellow genre painter Kim’s work, which hung next to Shin’s, provided a stark contrast. Titled “Listening to a Chinese Oriole from Atop a Horse,” Kim’s work left the upper half of the canvas empty, subscribing to the traditional use of “void” in pre-modern Korean painting. His strokes seemed hurried and blurred, soft and without boundaries, as he captured a young scholar on a late spring day. Kim’s work evoked the season’s heady charms through his subjects. Unable to withstand the sweet seduction of this season of love, the young scholar mounted a horse and went in search of inspiration, finding it in a singing oriole atop a willow tree. Through these two works, one could understand why both Kim Hong-do, known as Danwon, and Shin Yun-bok a.k.a. Hyewon, were called two of the “Three Wons” of the Joseon Dynasty. Famed for its dedication to the preservation of national-treasure level artifacts, documents and paintings, Gansong opens its doors to the public twice a year. Its exclusive exhibitions run for less than a month, affording visitors a glimpse of the foundation’s treasures. Established in 1938 by Jeon Hyeong-pil, Gansong dedicated itself to preventing the removal of Korean cultural properties by the Japanese during the colonial period. As a result, the museum is now home to more than 20 national treasures. ■ (Photos courtesy of the Gansong Art Museum) Shin Yun-bok’s “Miindo” (Portrait of a beautiful woman) SBS New Drama on Joseon’s Legendary Painters Actress Moon Geun-young Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, SBS-TV’s new drama “The Painter of the Wind” reinterprets and rewrites the lives of leaves of leading Joseon Dynasty painters Kim Hong-do and Shin Yu-bok. While the series retains the usual elements of intrigue and murder, politics and warfare take a back seat. Romance and the essence of the late Joseon Dynasty, an era of reform and cultural renaissance, come to the forefront, imbuing the period piece with a strong sense of humanity and intimacy. More importantly, the series takes an approach reminiscent of lush period pieces like E. J-yong’s “Untold Scandal” (2003), by focusing on issues of sexuality and gender. Posing the classically Shakespearian question: “What if the famed painter Shin Yun-bok had been a girl pretending to be a boy?” the drama — like the original novel — toys with themes of homosexuality and forbidden love while highlighting the inequalities of a male-dominated society. Actress Moon Geun-young took up the challenge of playing girl-turned-boy Shin Yun-bok. And she does a surprisingly good job of portraying a confident and rebellious girl struggling to make it in a world ruled by men. “I tried to copy my older male costars,” said Moon, 21, at the press conference. The precocious actress did more than just mimic her male colleagues. She managed to convey the mischievous and anguished nature of her character, at times playing a sweet and innocent tomboy, at others, a cocky and seductive painter. Though there is no evidence that the real Shin was a woman, his talent at capturing the beauty of women and creating exquisite intimate paintings remains undisputed. While fellow genre painter Kim Hong-do a.k.a. Danwon (1745-1806) enjoyed a relatively prominent career as an artist, painter Shin — who was expelled from the royal painting institute, Dohwaseo — lived a more obscure life. “The Painter of Wind” takes historical liberties with the lives of Kim Hongdo and Shin Yun-bok, depicting a fullblown romance between Kim, played by Park Shin-yang, and Moon Geunyoung’s character, against the backdrop of 18th century Korea. ■ 28 KOREA NOVEMBER 2008 NOVEMBER 2008 KOREA 29
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Page 17 and 18: CULTURE The dog (gae) A legendary f
Page 19 and 20: PEOPLE Jung Sung-ha Korean Guitar P
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Page 23 and 24: TRAVEL Samcheong-dong is a sweet an
Page 25 and 26: TRAVEL A Trip Back to Olden Times S
Page 27 and 28: FOOD 1 3 2 Omegisul master Kim Eul-
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