Installation dates: March 11-June 1, 2008
Location: The Arts of Korea Gallery, second floor
A special installation of magnificent Korean screens dating from the late 19th to the early 20th century will go on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 11. Featuring four screens drawn from American collections, Beauty and Learning: Korean Painted Screens will highlight a unique genre of Korean painting known as ch'aekkŏri (books and things), which flourished in Korea from the late 18th to the early 20th century. These screens, portraying books and objects, can be seen as representations of a scholar's study or studio. Approximately 20 objects, including ceramics and bronzes similar to those illustrated in the screens, will complement the installation. This is the first exhibition to focus on the subject in the United States.
The installation is made possible by The Kun-Hee Lee Fund for Korean Art.
First popular during the reign of King Chŏngjo (r.1776-1800) – known as a period of cultural renaissance – these paintings were made initially for the royal court and eventually became a staple of elite scholars' homes and even ordinary households.
Depicting books, scholarly accoutrements, antiquarian collectibles, and fruits and plants, the ch'aekkŏri screens served as pictorial representations of a collection of objects suitable for a scholar-gentleman to possess and display in his study. Stacks of books play a central role in the composition of the paintings.
The four works of art on view are among the best examples of this genre in North
America. They include a late 19th-century masterpiece – an example of the "trompe l'oeil" style favored by the royal court (Private Collection) – that was conserved recently in Korea.
The installation is organized by Soyoung Lee, Assistant Curator in the Museum's Department of Asian Art.
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January 30, 2007
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