By Wu Jinhua
Video = Kim Sunjoo and Lee Jun Young

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul through Oct. 9 is holding an exhibition of renowned artworks by leading European artists to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties with the U.K.

Opened on June 2, "Eyes on Us: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London" displays for the first time in Korea famous paintings from the British gallery, allowing visitors to see in the country masterpieces in one place.

At its Special Exhibition Gallery, the museum in a media event on June 1 unveiled 52 paintings on display by masters like Raphael, Caravaggio, Anthony Van Dyck, Manet, Van Gogh and Monet to domestic and foreign reporters.

The museum's Director General Yoon Sung Yong, British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks, gallery staff, and domestic and foreign journalists attended the event.

In his opening speech, Director General Yoon said, "Both the National Museum of Korea and the U.K.'s National Gallery are both open to all visitors, a value pursued by our two museums," adding, "Through this exhibition, I hope that visitors have the opportunity in Korea to directly enjoy masterpieces by Europe's leading artists. 

In his congratulatory speech, Ambassador Crooks said that as this year marks both the "milestone" of the 140th anniversary of bilateral ties and 50th year of the British Council in Korea, he expected the active continuation of cultural cooperation and other activities between both countries.

Museum curator Sun Yu-ee said the exhibition is designed for easy viewing of the flow of European paintings from the 15th to the 20th centuries from the perspective of famous Western artists. 

The exhibition is composed of four sections.

The first displays works representing the Renaissance era, whose stimulation of high interest in Greek and Roman classics led to the creation of many paintings and portraits related to mythology. This section contains works like "The Garvagh Madonna" by Raphael, "The Rape of Ganymede" by Damiano Mazza, "Portrait of a Lady (La Dama in Rosso)" by Giovanni Battista Moroni and "Portrait of a Lady (La Schiavona)" by Titian.

The second section reflects 17th-century changes in art after the Protestant Reformation. The works at the time can be divided into those focused on the role of art in moving people's minds and those promoting Catholicism like "Boy Bitten by a Lizard" by Caravaggio and "The Virgin in Prayer" by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato. 

The third section displays paintings on the spread of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Such works showed steadily rising artist interest in humans, individual freedom and happiness like "The Interior of an Inn (The Broken Eggs)" by Jan Steen, "Lord John Stuart and his Brother, Lord Bernard Stuart" by Van Dyck, "Venice: Entrance to the Cannaregio" by Giovanni Canaletto and "The Red Boy" by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

The fourth section includes impressionist works from the second half of the 19th century centered on modernized cities and changes in life based on the Industrial Revolution. They include "Corner of a Cafe-Concert" by Manet, "Irises" by Monet and "Long Grass with Butterflies" by Van Gogh.

Reservations are available online only and ticket sales started on May 15 at two-week intervals.

The dates of making a reservation are on the museum's website (www.museum.go.kr).

jane0614@korea.kr