Masterpieces of Korean Art
Masterpieces of Korean Art (Boston, Metcalf, 1957), National Library of Korea Collection

Masterpieces of Korean Art

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Masterpieces of Korean Art was the first overseas exhibition of Korean art organized by the National Museum in eight U.S. cities from December 15, 1957 through June 7, 1959 in an effort to rebuild the reputation of the country ruined after the Korean War and promote its cultural heritage abroad. Curated by Kim Chaewon, then director of the National Museum of Korea, preparations for the exhibition began to be made in 1956. The large-scale exhibition traveled to Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. For the exhibition, Alan Priest, the head of the East Asian Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Robert Paine, the curator of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, visited South Korea. On the Korean side, Ko Huidong, Bae Ryeom, Son Jaehyeong, Lee Byeongdo, Jeon Hyeongpil, Choi Sunu, Hong Jongin, and others were commissioned to select items to be displayed. However, it was regrettable that the opinions of Priest and Paine were unilaterally carried out in the process. Some 198 items, including sculptures, paintings, ceramics, and metalwork objects were selected at this first large-scale overseas exhibition of national cultural treasures. The exhibition was held in consecutive order through 1959 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Seattle Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Honolulu Museum of Art. Pertinent exhibition catalogues were published as well. Masterpieces of Korean Art sparked great interest in another overseas exhibition The National Art Treasure of Korea held in March 1961 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. It traveled across European countries, including the Hague in Netherlands, France, Germany, and Austria until the end of June 1962.
* Source: MMCA

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