After 6 years of preparation, the exhibition of the Louvre collection finally opens in Korea for the first time. As agreed in January 2005, this national event is part of the celebration of the 120th anniversary of Korea-France relations, officially recognized by the French government. 

In 2005, the Louvre exhibition with the theme of "the Landscapes of the 19th Century" was executed successfully in Japan, having received around 1.2M visitors. As it travels to Korea, the exhibition explores more of the objects that we are familiar with from history. 

 

Content

Section 1. Sacred Forest

Forest is the ideal place for gods and goddesses to appear in biblical stories. For this reason, the sacred and supernatural figures were mostly set in the forest background, showing the painters tried to blend the figures within the natural scenery. 

Section 2. The Golden Age

'The Golden Age' refers to the mythological happiness with peace, abundance, and painless life, three of which equal the conditions of the instinctive pursuit of happiness. The works that depict the mythological golden age are on view in this section. 

Section 3. The Ideal of Classicism

It's also important to look at landscapes in the aspect of classicism's influence. Classicism invented the system of 'elements' in paintings which also led to the development of new genres such as 'historical landscape' and 'heroic landscape.' 

Section 4. From Caprice to the Sublime

Nature is one of the most profound subjects as it offers various aspects and creatures. The paintings in this section bring the boundless beauty of nature that touches our souls.

Section 5. Italy of Painters

After the Renaissance period, the Greek and Roman cultures were heavily embedded in the western cultural scenes. The artists endeavored to find new inspiration and to come up with their own solutions to absorb the technique and motifs. They were often fascinated by Italian immaculate architecture and landscapes. 

Section 6. Hunting and War
Hunting and war remain to be the most ancient activities that men had to involve. Also, they are symbolically important evidence to track humanity in history. Men painted to leave their marks of existences and experiences.  

Section 7. Portrait and Landscape

Nature often appears allegorically and abstractively in paintings as it is strongly linked with mankind. <Portrait and Landscape> section examines the close relationship between humans and nature and how it appears to the artists. 

Section 8. Nature and its Aesthetic Beauty

In the late 19th Century, the landscape became one of the important subject matters, especially in French art. Many collectors and artists started to pay more attention to the landscapes than the previous historical pictures.