"Portrait of a Beauty," a masterpiece by Hyewon Shin Yun-bok that represents Joseon Dynasty figure painting, greets visitors every day at the Daegu Kansong Art Museum.
Just as the "Mona Lisa" at France's Louvre Museum symbolizes Paris, the city of Daegu and the Daegu Kansong Art Museum plan to cultivate "Portrait of a Beauty" as a cultural icon representing Daegu.
The Daegu Kansong Art Museum has set up a permanent exhibition space for "Portrait of a Beauty" on the museum's first floor, called "The Room with a Beautiful Person, the Portrait of a Beauty Room," and has opened it to the public starting on the 7th of this month.
"Portrait of a Beauty" is regarded as the crystallization of feminine beauty portrayed by Shin Yun-bok.
In the work, a woman of graceful and elegant bearing stands alone against a background-free canvas.
Depicted with refined brushwork and subtle coloring in a dignified manner, the subject of the work stands with her head tilted slightly, as if shy.
Despite its outstanding fame and value, "Portrait of a Beauty" had been shown to the public only in an extremely limited manner.
At past special exhibitions, "open runs" even occurred, and whenever the work was displayed, visitors could barely come face to face with it after a long wait.
Now, however, visitors can view "Portrait of a Beauty" at any time at the Daegu Kansong Art Museum.
WGNB (led by director Baek Jong-hwan), a space studio that has won numerous international design awards, participated in designing the permanent exhibition space.
WGNB has carried out various art-related projects, including the complex cultural space "Futra Seoul" in Seoul and the "Baekje Grand Incense Burner Hall" at the Buyeo National Museum, as well as commercial spaces such as Musinsa and the Shinsegae Trinity Lounge.
In the space, which draws inspiration from a hanok, visitors slowly walk along a long corridor wrapped in light before arriving at a small, dense room seen straight ahead.
In a space free from any disturbance, they experience a special moment of communion, meeting the gaze of the woman in the work completely.
"Portrait of a Beauty" can be viewed every day, but the number of visitors admitted at one time may be limited to maintain a comfortable viewing environment.
"'Portrait of a Beauty' is an unrivaled masterpiece in our art history that captures the beauty of Joseon women in a realistic yet refined manner," said Jeon In-geon, director of the Daegu Kansong Art Museum. "It carries great significance in that visitors to the museum can now encounter the work in their daily lives at any time."
