Jeong Seon (1676-1759)
Using the pseudonym ``Gyeomjae,'' meaning humble study, Jeong (1676-1795) was one of the most influential landscape painters in 18th century Korea with his realistic style. He was influenced by Chinese paintings in his earlier life, but later developed his own approach.
Unlike abstract paintings that featured portraits of nature and character sketches, he depicted mountains and streams with fine, bold strokes in a realistic composition.
Born into a noble family, Jeong died at the late age of 83. As a government official, he was a local magistrate three times, and as a painter, he was active from age 35 to 81. He traveled to various scenic spots in Korea such as Mt. Geumgang, immersing himself in nature.
Jeong had a strong influence on his contemporaries and later generations, and his work subsequently came to constitute the style of the era. His paintings are still appreciated today.
The exhibition is arranged into several thematic sections ? true-view landscapes, idealized landscapes, history paintings and scenes from literary works ? with an intended goal to illuminate the regional context and circle of friends who were closely associated with his painting. The first work comes from the 14-page album, which he drew at the age of 36. It shows the earliest stage of his true-view landscape paintings and captures the essence of his artistic world.
Jeong vividly portrays the elderly and servants, which he focused on during his early-stage character paintings. The album also indicates that Jeong had a key role in leading the trend for folk paintings.
The Album of Sikong Tu's Modes of Poetry'' includes works that Jeong created when he was 74. The paintings illustrate the 24 graceful features of poetry articulated by Sikong Tu (837-908), a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty. No similar paintings are known to exist in China or Japan.
"The album includes several paintings that are closely associated to" A Manual of Chinese Paintings'' and some reflect Jeong Seon's own visual interpretation of the poems. Visitors can get a glimpse of his persistent efforts to create innovative works while maintaining tradition.
During the priest Norbert Weber's (1870-1956) travels to Mt. Geumgang, the then head of St. Ottilien Arch-Abbey in Germany collected 21 paintings by Jeong.
The paintings had been in the collection of St. Ottilien, but in 2006, after about 80 years, they were finally returned to St. Benedict Waegwan Abbey in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province.
The album consists of 21 paintings in various genres, including true-view landscapes, figure paintings, history paintings, and paintings of pines and cranes. Although the paintings do not have specific dates and show inconsistencies in style, all have Jeong's inscription and seal. The album will be unveiled from Oct. 13.
