Yonhap News has a list of some of the events and festivals happening around the country in early May, including Boseong’s Green Tea Festival, Jeonju’s Pungnam Festival, and yes, the Hi Seoul Festival.
Not mentioned is the Lotus Lantern Festival to be held in Seoul on Sunday, although some events will take place on Friday and Saturday. Most of the action will be going down around Jogye-sa and Jongno.
Something I’m really keen to see is the National Museum’s special exhibit of the work of Franco-Japanese artist Paul Jacoulet (1896-1960). Born in Japan, Jacoulet moved to Japan with his family at age 4 and spent pretty much the rest of his life there, including World War II. He learned Japanese woodblock printmaking and used this skill to produce portraits of people in Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia and the South Pacific during the first half of the 20th century. In particular, his block prints of Korea are a rare view of early 20th century Korea through the eyes of a Westerner. The Hanga Gallery has an online collection of his prints—I really suggest you take a look at them. Or even better, head to the National Museum and take a look at them yourself.
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3 Comments
I didn’t know about Jacoulet, interesting guy. His story is the reverse of the French impressionists, who were influenced by Japanese woodblock prints that came to Paris at the end of the 19th century as the Yonhap story says. He’s a bit like Gauguin. The quality of the prints look a little erratic but most of them are really accomplished.
Interesting story. Jacoulet’s palette is terrible and some of his work borders on kitsch in its ahistoricism - e.g., Vent Du Nord, the picture accompanying the story, dated 1953; but his sense of the drapery of clothing isn’t bad, and his facial studies are good. I may go to the museum to see if the coloring improves when viewing the originals.
Thats what I was thinking too, Sperwer, but some of the prints from 1941 onward have fairly complex compositions and are more sophisticated–probably worth seeing person.