ARTWORKS DONATED BY LEE TO GO PUBLIC

[Anchor Lead]

Some of the best masterpieces of Korean art donated by the late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee will go on public display from Wednesday. The collection includes the Joseon-era landscape painting "Inwang Jesaekdo" by Jeong Seon and Lee Jung-seob's 1950s painting of bulls.

[Pkg]

Inwangsan Mountain just around this time of the year when the monsoon has ended. With a single-color ink stick, the painter has achieved three dimensional effects and variation of shades comparable to an Impressionist work. It is arguably one of the greatest masterpieces in Korean art history. A dish holder with clay figurines dating back to the Three Kingdoms Era. A race between a serpent and frog depicted on the outer ring is a dynamic scene created some 15-hundred years ago. The pure white color of Joseon era white porcelain is deemed difficult to replicate even in modern times. The bottom of the bowl has a marking that shows the utensil was managed by the palace or government. Other white porcelain has cobalt blue drawings on them. Famed Korean painter Lee Jung-seob’s signature work is also among the collection. The life-like painting of a bull against a red backdrop is powerfully raw. It's almost as if you can even feel the breath from the bull’s nostrils. This painting of a white bull in full length symbolizes the hard working and dedicated Joseon people. Painter Chang Uc-chin’s personally adored piece And abstract master Kim Whan-ki's yet undisclosed oil painting of Korean scenery following national independence are all on display for public viewing. A total of 135 artworks are unveiled out of 23-thousand donated by the late Samsung chair.

[Soundbite] Youn Bum-mo(Director, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) : "The collection contains the best of the best works that lay the groundwork to rewrite Korea’s modern and contemporary art history."

The "Lee Kun-hee Collection" will be displayed at the National Museum of Korea until September 26 and through March 13 next year at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Advance reservations are required for visits.