A Very Private Art Museum: Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee Masterpieces
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Description
Book Introduction
“Private collections are a key part of Korean art history.
The moment you complete the blank puzzle,
“A masterpiece loved by everyone has been born.”
Shining fragments of Korean modern and contemporary art history that even the National Museum of Art missed.
The book, "A Very Private Art Museum: Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee Masterpieces," has been published, which analyzes and interprets the works in the "Lee Kun-hee Collection," a donation of the century visited by 2.7 million people, through the eyes of reporter Kwon Geun-young, an expert on modern and contemporary Korean art.
This book, like an art gallery catalog, features numerous modern and contemporary Korean art pieces prominently throughout the text, allowing readers to appreciate the works in detail.
Furthermore, the author, who is an expert on modern and contemporary Korean art and has worked as an art journalist for over 20 years, did not stop at analyzing existing materials on modern and contemporary Korean art, but went out and reported on it himself, and filled the manuscript with vivid content from interviews with artists, their families, and related parties.
In particular, after much searching, we were able to contact the bereaved family of writer Baek Nam-sun, who provided us with previously undisclosed photographic materials, which were then included in a book for the first time in Korea.
In this way, based on a deep understanding of art, the author has interestingly unraveled not only the art historical value of the works in Lee Kun-hee's collection, but also the personal and historical stories they contain.
In this book, you can encounter the traces they left behind and the hidden stories of art history, focusing on the works of representative Korean painters such as Baek Nam-soon, Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-kuk, and Jang Wook-jin, which are included in the Lee Kun-hee Collection.
Beyond simple commentary on the works, it broadly introduces the artists' early works, which are not easily accessible to the public, to representative works that capture their lives, thereby shedding new light on the depth and beauty of Korean art.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection began as a private collection of Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee, but its cultural and artistic value holds great significance in Korean art history.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has been on a nationwide tour for over three years, attracting nearly 2.7 million visitors.
No exhibition by a major magnate or project by a renowned art museum has ever attracted so many people.
These works, which started out as a 'private collection,' have now become 'historical materials that provide important clues to the history of modern and contemporary Korean art,' and have now established themselves as 'masterpieces' beloved by all.
Now, let's meet the collection that moved 2.7 million people in book form.
The moment you complete the blank puzzle,
“A masterpiece loved by everyone has been born.”
Shining fragments of Korean modern and contemporary art history that even the National Museum of Art missed.
The book, "A Very Private Art Museum: Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee Masterpieces," has been published, which analyzes and interprets the works in the "Lee Kun-hee Collection," a donation of the century visited by 2.7 million people, through the eyes of reporter Kwon Geun-young, an expert on modern and contemporary Korean art.
This book, like an art gallery catalog, features numerous modern and contemporary Korean art pieces prominently throughout the text, allowing readers to appreciate the works in detail.
Furthermore, the author, who is an expert on modern and contemporary Korean art and has worked as an art journalist for over 20 years, did not stop at analyzing existing materials on modern and contemporary Korean art, but went out and reported on it himself, and filled the manuscript with vivid content from interviews with artists, their families, and related parties.
In particular, after much searching, we were able to contact the bereaved family of writer Baek Nam-sun, who provided us with previously undisclosed photographic materials, which were then included in a book for the first time in Korea.
In this way, based on a deep understanding of art, the author has interestingly unraveled not only the art historical value of the works in Lee Kun-hee's collection, but also the personal and historical stories they contain.
In this book, you can encounter the traces they left behind and the hidden stories of art history, focusing on the works of representative Korean painters such as Baek Nam-soon, Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-kuk, and Jang Wook-jin, which are included in the Lee Kun-hee Collection.
Beyond simple commentary on the works, it broadly introduces the artists' early works, which are not easily accessible to the public, to representative works that capture their lives, thereby shedding new light on the depth and beauty of Korean art.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection began as a private collection of Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee, but its cultural and artistic value holds great significance in Korean art history.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has been on a nationwide tour for over three years, attracting nearly 2.7 million visitors.
No exhibition by a major magnate or project by a renowned art museum has ever attracted so many people.
These works, which started out as a 'private collection,' have now become 'historical materials that provide important clues to the history of modern and contemporary Korean art,' and have now established themselves as 'masterpieces' beloved by all.
Now, let's meet the collection that moved 2.7 million people in book form.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
Author's Note | A personal and historical collection
Opening remarks | Collectors Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee
PART 1
A very personal painting
The 'paradise' dreamed of by 20th-century nomads
Baek Nam-soon
Living Together for 7 Years, Missing You for 70 Years: "Courtship Postcard Painting"
Lee Jung-seop I
The missing 'cow' was as good as Picasso's.
Lee Jung-seob II
“Abstraction is good because it doesn’t say anything.”
Yoo Young-guk
A 'perpetual stranger' who is neither Korean nor French
Lee Seong-ja
The 'black coal' blocking Manhattan
Double
PART 2
A masterpiece by our side
A winter dawn, a brief sketch of Bulguksa Temple filled with ink and brush
Park Dae-seong
Poor neighbors with rough textures
Park Soo-geun
A strange picture of a 'simple person'
Jang Wook-jin
“Knowing sadness is beautiful.”
Dosangbong
Neither sculpture, life, nor death, I don't know
Choi Jong-tae
31-year-old Kim Hong-do's improvisational performance
Gunseondo
Invitation from the 'National Treasure Collector'
Celadon lotus flower-patterned ewer
The first cultural asset recovered from overseas
Amitabha Triad
References
Opening remarks | Collectors Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee
PART 1
A very personal painting
The 'paradise' dreamed of by 20th-century nomads
Baek Nam-soon
Living Together for 7 Years, Missing You for 70 Years: "Courtship Postcard Painting"
Lee Jung-seop I
The missing 'cow' was as good as Picasso's.
Lee Jung-seob II
“Abstraction is good because it doesn’t say anything.”
Yoo Young-guk
A 'perpetual stranger' who is neither Korean nor French
Lee Seong-ja
The 'black coal' blocking Manhattan
Double
PART 2
A masterpiece by our side
A winter dawn, a brief sketch of Bulguksa Temple filled with ink and brush
Park Dae-seong
Poor neighbors with rough textures
Park Soo-geun
A strange picture of a 'simple person'
Jang Wook-jin
“Knowing sadness is beautiful.”
Dosangbong
Neither sculpture, life, nor death, I don't know
Choi Jong-tae
31-year-old Kim Hong-do's improvisational performance
Gunseondo
Invitation from the 'National Treasure Collector'
Celadon lotus flower-patterned ewer
The first cultural asset recovered from overseas
Amitabha Triad
References
Detailed image
Publisher's Review
The largest collection of memorabilia ever unveiled!
A comprehensive collection of paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures that have shaped the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.
“Baek Nam-soon’s ‘Paradise’ became known to the world when it was donated to a national institution as part of the Lee Kun-hee Collection.
It's not just 'Paradise'.
Even I, who majored in modern and contemporary Korean art in graduate school, saw many things in person for the first time.
This was because it was a ‘collection with art museums in mind’ that sought to include the artist’s early works rather than the most expensive or representative works.
The puzzle pieces that were missing here and there in our twisted and tangled modern and contemporary art history were thus put into place.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has been on a nationwide tour for over three years, attracting nearly 2.7 million visitors.
No exhibition by any great artist, no project by any famous art museum, has ever attracted so many people.
“It went from being a ‘private collection’ to a ‘history that unravels the threads of modern and contemporary Korean art history,’ and now it has become a masterpiece beloved by all.” (Author’s Note, from ‘Private and Historical Collection’)
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has caused a great stir in the art world since it was unveiled.
The vast collection of 21,693 works of art and cultural assets was so valuable that it was called the "donation of the century," and attracted the attention of over 2.7 million visitors.
This collection not only gathers famous works, but also comprehensively shows the artist's development process by collecting early, mid-period, and representative works.
This is a systematic collection designed with the museum in mind, and is significant as it contains important moments in the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.
The book introduces representative Korean works that have been loved by 2.7 million people.
This exhibition guides you through the early works of artists to their representative works, including Baek Nam-soon's 'Paradise', known to the world through the Lee Kun-hee Collection; Lee Jung-seob's 'Courtship Postcard Painting' and 'Cow' that rivals Picasso; Yoo Young-kuk, a pioneer of abstract painting; Lee Seong-ja, the 'eternal stranger'; Lee Bae, known for his 'black charcoal' sculptures; Park Soo-geun, who painted poor neighbors with the rough texture and vastness of his Buddhist landscapes filled with ink; and Jang Wook-jin, whose simple and unfamiliar paintings.
Representative Korean masterpieces that were difficult to obtain even at the National Art Museum.
“Guided by experts in modern and contemporary Korean art
“Encounter a timeless masterpiece!”
Based on his experience covering and researching Korean art for over 20 years at the JoongAng Ilbo, the author presents an engaging account of the art pieces in Lee Kun-hee's collection, not only highlighting their art historical value, but also revealing the personal and historical stories they hold.
It introduces works by representative Korean artists such as Baek Nam-soon, Lee Jung-seop, Yoo Young-guk, Lee Seong-ja, Lee Bae, Park Dae-sung, Park Soo-keun, Jang Wook-jin, Do Sang-bong, and Choi Jong-tae, and shows how the Lee Kun-hee Collection filled the gaps in the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.
In this book, the author goes beyond simple commentary on the works, introducing a wide range of works, from the early works of artists not easily accessible to the general public to representative works that capture their lives, thereby shedding new light on the depth and beauty of Korean art.
You can encounter the traces they left behind and the hidden stories of art history, focusing on the works of representative Korean painters such as Baek Nam-soon, Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-kuk, and Jang Wook-jin.
Private and historical collections
A masterpiece loved by 2.7 million people
Another important significance of the Lee Kun-hee Collection is that the works were made available to the public through donations.
This collection played a significant role in raising public interest in art and presented a new paradigm for conservation, research, and exhibition in the art world.
This allowed the public to experience art more closely, and it became an opportunity for Korean art to receive global attention.
"A Very Private Art Museum: Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee Masterpieces" has been serialized to great popularity on The JoongAng Plus, the online subscription platform of JoongAng Ilbo, since 2023.
This book has been compiled from proven, high-quality content that has already received rave reviews, featuring in-depth narratives and rich imagery from a professional journalist with a doctorate in modern and contemporary Korean art.
These works, which originated from private collections, have now become historical materials that provide important clues to the history of modern and contemporary Korean art, and have established themselves as beloved masterpieces.
The collection that moved 2.7 million people is now available in book form.
A comprehensive collection of paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures that have shaped the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.
“Baek Nam-soon’s ‘Paradise’ became known to the world when it was donated to a national institution as part of the Lee Kun-hee Collection.
It's not just 'Paradise'.
Even I, who majored in modern and contemporary Korean art in graduate school, saw many things in person for the first time.
This was because it was a ‘collection with art museums in mind’ that sought to include the artist’s early works rather than the most expensive or representative works.
The puzzle pieces that were missing here and there in our twisted and tangled modern and contemporary art history were thus put into place.
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has been on a nationwide tour for over three years, attracting nearly 2.7 million visitors.
No exhibition by any great artist, no project by any famous art museum, has ever attracted so many people.
“It went from being a ‘private collection’ to a ‘history that unravels the threads of modern and contemporary Korean art history,’ and now it has become a masterpiece beloved by all.” (Author’s Note, from ‘Private and Historical Collection’)
The Lee Kun-hee Collection has caused a great stir in the art world since it was unveiled.
The vast collection of 21,693 works of art and cultural assets was so valuable that it was called the "donation of the century," and attracted the attention of over 2.7 million visitors.
This collection not only gathers famous works, but also comprehensively shows the artist's development process by collecting early, mid-period, and representative works.
This is a systematic collection designed with the museum in mind, and is significant as it contains important moments in the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.
The book introduces representative Korean works that have been loved by 2.7 million people.
This exhibition guides you through the early works of artists to their representative works, including Baek Nam-soon's 'Paradise', known to the world through the Lee Kun-hee Collection; Lee Jung-seob's 'Courtship Postcard Painting' and 'Cow' that rivals Picasso; Yoo Young-kuk, a pioneer of abstract painting; Lee Seong-ja, the 'eternal stranger'; Lee Bae, known for his 'black charcoal' sculptures; Park Soo-geun, who painted poor neighbors with the rough texture and vastness of his Buddhist landscapes filled with ink; and Jang Wook-jin, whose simple and unfamiliar paintings.
Representative Korean masterpieces that were difficult to obtain even at the National Art Museum.
“Guided by experts in modern and contemporary Korean art
“Encounter a timeless masterpiece!”
Based on his experience covering and researching Korean art for over 20 years at the JoongAng Ilbo, the author presents an engaging account of the art pieces in Lee Kun-hee's collection, not only highlighting their art historical value, but also revealing the personal and historical stories they hold.
It introduces works by representative Korean artists such as Baek Nam-soon, Lee Jung-seop, Yoo Young-guk, Lee Seong-ja, Lee Bae, Park Dae-sung, Park Soo-keun, Jang Wook-jin, Do Sang-bong, and Choi Jong-tae, and shows how the Lee Kun-hee Collection filled the gaps in the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.
In this book, the author goes beyond simple commentary on the works, introducing a wide range of works, from the early works of artists not easily accessible to the general public to representative works that capture their lives, thereby shedding new light on the depth and beauty of Korean art.
You can encounter the traces they left behind and the hidden stories of art history, focusing on the works of representative Korean painters such as Baek Nam-soon, Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-kuk, and Jang Wook-jin.
Private and historical collections
A masterpiece loved by 2.7 million people
Another important significance of the Lee Kun-hee Collection is that the works were made available to the public through donations.
This collection played a significant role in raising public interest in art and presented a new paradigm for conservation, research, and exhibition in the art world.
This allowed the public to experience art more closely, and it became an opportunity for Korean art to receive global attention.
"A Very Private Art Museum: Lee Kun-hee and Hong Ra-hee Masterpieces" has been serialized to great popularity on The JoongAng Plus, the online subscription platform of JoongAng Ilbo, since 2023.
This book has been compiled from proven, high-quality content that has already received rave reviews, featuring in-depth narratives and rich imagery from a professional journalist with a doctorate in modern and contemporary Korean art.
These works, which originated from private collections, have now become historical materials that provide important clues to the history of modern and contemporary Korean art, and have established themselves as beloved masterpieces.
The collection that moved 2.7 million people is now available in book form.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: November 10, 2024
- Page count, weight, size: 392 pages | 642g | 154*200*24mm
- ISBN13: 9788927880677
- ISBN10: 8927880676
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