American Impressionist works on first exhibit in Korea

A large collection of American Impressionists paintings are on exhibit for the first time in Korea.

The exhibition “Transcending Vision: American Impressionism 1870-1940” presents 130 paintings that highlight unique characteristics of American Impressionism, the mainstream style in American art from the late 19th century to the beginning of World War II.

The exhibition of 130 artworks by 90 artists on loan from Bank of America also marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the U.S. 

“The paintings feature the most American subjects such as the American flag, its vast land and the lives of Native Americans,” said Chung Hye-jung, curator of the exhibition.

According to Chung, the paintings reflect the artists’ patriotism and their affection for their land, cities and villages, which differentiate American Impressionist paintings from those by their European counterparts.

“While European impressionist paintings focus on the momentary images of gardens bathed in sunlight and seasonal beauty of landscapes, American paintings add more subjects that show pride for their country,” Chung said.

The Impressionist images Koreans are most familiar with are landscapes in Europe, depicted in the paintings of Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. But the American Impressionists tried to capture not just momentary images, but the “images that last forever.” 

The attempt to depict lasting images resulted in solid depiction of landscapes and cityscapes with detailed brushworks as shown in “Trinity Church, Wall Street” by Guy Carleton Wiggins and “Autumn Landscape” by Ernest L. Blumenschein.

The artworks are displayed in chronological order to help viewers follow the history and development of American Impressionism across the United States.

From the Hudson River School ― the precursor to American Impressionism ― to the period when the American art circle made the transition from Impressionism to Modernism, the four sections show how American artists developed their distinctive style while retaining classic techniques from French art academies where they first acquired the Impressionist techniques.

The exhibition is part of BofA’s “Art in our Community” project, an art-sharing initiative that aims to bridge the gap between the public and art museums by lending their collections to museums.

Actress-turned-director and artist Koo Hye-sun volunteered to record the audio guide for the exhibition.

The exhibition continues through March 29 at Seoul Arts Center. Tickets are 12,000 won for adults, 8,000 won for teenagers, 5,000 won for elementary school students and 4,000 won for pre-school children.

For more information, call (02) 501-6976.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)