van gogh in seoul!

Van Gogh Show to Open in Seoul

Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Yellow House” (1888) is part of the exhibition “Van Gogh: Voyage into the Myth” that runs from Nov. 24 to March 16 at the Seoul Museum of Art. By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff reporter The first retrospective of Vincent Van Gogh's works (1853-1890) in Korea will open on Nov. 24, gathering the Dutch artist's masterpieces from the Van Gogh Museum and Kroller-Muller Museum in the Netherlands. ``Van Gogh: Voyage into the Myth'' will feature 67 works by Van Gogh, including 45 paintings and 22 drawings, at the Seoul Museum of Art. This is the biggest Van Gogh exhibition since the exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the artist's death at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam in 1990. The Hankook Ilbo, the sister company of The Korea Times, is organizing the event with the Seoul Museum of Art and KBS Korea. Seo Soun-jou, the Van Gogh exhibit commissioner and Hankook Ilbo cultural project center director of exhibitions, said this is a comprehensive exhibition that covers the master painter's brief but fruitful 10-year career. The exhibition features representative works from Van Gogh's early Netherlands period (1880-1885), Paris period (1886-1888), Arles period (1889), Saint-Remy period (1889-1890) and Auvers-sur-Oise period (1890). Seo said it is amazing that Korea managed to host the Van Gogh retrospective, since it is the most sought-after exhibition in the world. He noted the Van Gogh Museum is not planning on holding another exhibition like this one for the next 10 years. Born in Zundert, the Netherlands in 1853, Van Gogh devoted his life to art, and lived in poverty until he died at the age of 37. He was categorized as a ``post-impressionist'' artist and created around 900 works during his lifetime. However, these were not recognized until after his death. While influenced by Impressionism, Van Gogh rejected the realistic painting styles, saying he wanted to ``paint unrealistic paintings to look more realistic than paintings that depict real things.'' Among the masterpieces on display at the exhibit are ``The Potato Eaters'' (1885), ``Self-portrait'' (1887), ``Irises'' (1890) and ``Church in Auvers'' (1890). This will be the first time Van Gogh's ``Irises'' will be showcased outside the Van Gogh Museum. Other significant works include ``The Sower,'' ``The Yellow House'' and ``Portrait of Joseph Roulin,'' which show the real essence of Van Gogh's art. Seo noted the Van Gogh exhibition is probably the most expensive one to be held in Korea. The total insurance value of the exhibition is 14 trillion won, with the value of ``Irises'' and ``Self-Portrait'' at a hundred billion won each. Seo hopes this event will be a stepping stone for future Van Gogh masterpieces to be exhibited in Seoul, such as the famous ``Sunflower'' and ``Cafe Terrace.'' The exhibition runs until March 16. It will be open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and weekends, holidays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 10,000 for students (13-18 years old), and 8,000 won for children (7-12 years old). Children below 7 years old and senior citizens (65 years old and over) will be allowed to go in for free. Group discounts are available. For more information, www.vangoghseoul.com. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr