A founding member of the Calligraphy and Painting Association (seohwa hyeophoe, established in 1918), Kim Gyu-jin was a recognized calligrapher and literati artist. He studied ink painting and calligraphy for a decade in China, having traveled there at age eighteen, and learned photography in Japan in 1907. In 1920 Kim and other notable artists received a royal commission to decorate the buildings of the Changdeok Palace complex, for which he completed two polychrome wall paintings.
This rare screen with multicolor panels features scholar gentleman’s favorite subjects, which are Plum, Bamboo, Orchid, and Chrysanthemum, with elegance and magnificence. The screen was believed to have been displayed at the royal palace (Changdeok Palace) in Seoul.
Selected Collections of Kim Gyu-Jin’s Paintings and Screens
The Royal Collection at Changdok Palace, Korea
Ho-Am Art Museum, Korea
The Mary Jackson Burke Foundation Collection
The National Museum of Korea, Seoul
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University
The British Museum, London, UK