Korean National Treasures: 2,000 Years of Art - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300284063 ISBN 13: 9780300284065

Publisher: Art Institute of Chicago, 2025

Synopsis

An epic journey through the world of Korean art, ranging from the first century BCE to the mid-twentieth century
 
The 150 artworks showcased in this elegant book represent the vast and varied traditions and the extraordinary range of media encompassed in the Korean art world. The objects—which include paintings, sculptures, ceramics, books, and scrolls—have, with one exception, never been published or exhibited outside Korea, and over twenty of them have been designated as National Treasures under the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration. Serving as a comprehensive introduction to Korean art, the book includes essays by renowned experts in the United States and in Korea that explore key subjects, from secular Joseon-period paintings to Buddhist art, ceramics, and modern painting. The featured works are all part of the diverse Lee Kun-Hee Collection, one of the largest and most impressive private art collections ever assembled in Korea, which was donated to the state in 2021 in order to share with the public the depth and diversity of Korean artistic traditions.
 
Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago
 
Exhibition schedule:
 
National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC
(November 8, 2025–February 1, 2026)
 
The Art Institute of Chicago
(March 7–July 5, 2026)

About this title

About the Author

Yeonsoo Chee is associate curator of Korean art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Edition details

• Publisher: Art Institute of Chicago
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300284063
• ISBN 13: 9780300284065
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: Chee Yeonsoo