About The Beauty of Old Korean Paintings
The Beauty of Old Korean Paintings, originally written in Korean under the subtitle A History and An Appreciation of Traditional Korean Paintings, began as an illustrated lecture by Lee Dongju (1917-1997), the eminent Korean author and art historian and Professor Emeritus at the Seoul National University. The book follows the format of his slide lecture and brings into English this passionate connoisseur’s acute, entertaining and at times uncomfortably frank observations on the subject of Korean art and artists.
The Beauty of Old Korean Paintings offers a wealth of information readily cross-referenced to Korean, Chinese and Japanese sources while preserving Professor Lee’s authentic voice and the value of his original work as an authoritative text on Korean painting.
True to Professor Lee’s intent, the book evokes interest in the whole gamut of Korean art as well as Korean artists, aesthetics and history.
About the author
Lee Dongju, given name Lee Yonghui, was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1917 and passed away in 1997. His father, Lee Gapseong, was one of thirty-three signatories to the declaration of independence issued during the March the 1st Movement of 1919.
Lee Yonghui attended Yonhi College, now Yonsei University, majoring in political science. Initially more famous as a scholar of international political science than an aesthete he held positions as Professor of Political Science at Seoul National University, President of Aju University, Reunification Minister, and First Secretary to the President. Although Lee Dongju never received an advanced degree in the subject, from his undergraduate days had a love for Korean art and naturally became immersed in its study.
For over 60 years, he engaged himself in a comparative study of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese paintings while directly examining, researching, differentiating and systematising the specific character of traditional Korean works. Through his direct contact with these numerous paintings, Lee Dongju established his own aesthetic theory regarding Korean art, one that brought to light the error of narrow academic approaches and guided readers toward a more direct and proper appreciation. In this frame his aesthetic focused on appreciating individual paintings rather than judging works by the artist’s name or history. He asserted that a painting should be enjoyed for its intrinsic beauty.
Lee Dongju is among the very few scholars who are universally acknowledged to have an authoritative grasp of the history and tradition of Korean painting, having encountered and critiqued a vast number of works. Lee Dongju was prolific, authoring and editing numerous articles and a number of books on Korean Art, including, Old Korean Paintings, Korean Paintings in Japan, A Short History of Korean Painting, and Theory of the History of Korean Painting. Later in life, he found his greatest pleasures in paintings rather than politics.
About the translators
Robert Carrubba studied English Literature for his BA and has pursued his interest in Korea, Korean art, literature and poetry while residing in South Korea. He is currently studying for an MA in Korean Linguistics.
Kim Kyongsook graduated with a BA in English Literature from Sogang University in Seoul, and later studied for an MA in Translation Studies at the University of Warwick, England. Returning to Sogang, she completed an MA in Philosophy. Currently, she is pursuing a doctoral degree in philosophy at The Catholic University of America, Washington DC.
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