The ‘Sajik Old Pine’ by Jeong Seon evokes the dynamic spirit of a dragon. Courtesy of Gangseo-gu

The Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Museum of Art in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, announced on the 9th that it will hold a special exhibition ‘Pine, Ever Green’ to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Gyeomjae Jeong Seon.

This exhibition was prepared in cooperation with eight major domestic institutions, including the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. It will present 37 works across 23 entries on the theme of pine trees, spanning from the Joseon period to the present.

It sheds light on how the pine tree, which symbolized the spirit and austere dignity of the scholar in Joseon-period painting, has evolved through the modern and contemporary eras into landscapes imbued with the personal perspective of each artist.

Included are masterpieces by leading painters of the Joseon art world, such as the ‘Sajik Old Pine’ by Jeong Seon, which evokes the dynamic spirit of a dragon; the ‘Immortal Playing the Sheng Under Pines’ by Kim Hong-do, which mysteriously depicts an immortal playing the sheng beneath a pine; and the ‘Conversation Under Pines’ by Lee In-mun, which captures two figures chatting beneath a gigantic pine.

It also encompasses modern works such as the ‘Fragrant Clouds’ by Park No-su, which reinterprets traditional landscape painting with contemporary color and composition, as well as contemporary pieces such as media art by Lee Lee-nam that visualizes pines swaying in the wind.

At 2 p.m. on the 14th, when the opening ceremony will be held, Yu Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, will also deliver a special lecture on the theme ‘The Evolution of the Artistic World of Gyeomjae’. The exhibition runs through June 21.