DATE: February 5, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT Alexandria Sivak Getty Communications (310) 440-6473 asivak@getty.edu THE GETTY MUSEUM EXHIBITS CAPTIVATING RUBENS DRAWING OF A MAN IN KOREAN COSTUME ALONGSIDE NATIONAL TREASURES FROM KOREA Looking East: Rubens s Encounter with Asia March 5 June 9, 2013 At the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center LOS ANGELES Among the greatest of Old Master draughtsmen, Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 1640) drew influence from an extraordinarily wide range of subject matter. Around 1617, he created a large-scale chalk drawing of a man wearing voluminous silk robes and a transparent headdress. This masterwork, now identified as a Man in Korean Costume, was acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1983. It is the centerpiece of an exhibition that provides the first indepth study of this compelling drawing. Since its creation, Rubens s Man in Korean Costume has fascinated viewers. It was copied in the artist s Antwerp studio and circulated as a reproductive print in the eighteenth century. Despite the drawing s renown, why it was made and whether it actually portrays a specific individual are questions that remain unanswered. This intriguing work and the questions that surround it are the focal point of the exhibition Looking East: Rubens s Encounter with Asia, on view March 5 June 9, 2013 at the Getty Museum. Man in Korean Costume, about 1617 Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 1640) Black chalk with touches of red chalk in the face The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Page 2 Associate Curator Stephanie Schrader uses related drawings, prints, paintings, illustrated books, maps, and costumes to demonstrate how trade and religion informed Rubens s understanding of Asian culture. In addition to the Getty Museum s famous drawing, and loans from the Getty Research Institute and other prominent national and international institutions, the exhibition also features six national treasures from Korea. These exceptional Korean loans, none of which have ever been shown on the West Coast, include portraits of Joseon dynasty scholars as well as luxurious costumes recently excavated from the sixteenthcentury tomb of a prominent military officer. Man in Korean Costume is a powerful and intriguing work of art that prompts more questions than it answers. Past interpretations of it involve a remarkable blend of fact and fantasy about Rubens and his subject, which is now widely believed to be the first depiction of Korean costume in the West, explains Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. This exhibition offers many entirely new insights into one of Rubens s most fascinating works, and in the process throws new light on the breadth of interests and ambition of this supreme artist. The subject of the Getty s drawing is a man wearing voluminous silk robes and a transparent headdress that would have been made from horse hair. In the last few decades, Korean costume experts and historians have associated this attire with high-ranking officials in Joseon dynasty (1392 1910) Korea. Prior to this Korean identification, however, European artists, collectors, and scholars universally believed the drawing depicted a Siamese priest or ambassador who visited England. The identification is made all the more perplexing by the fact that the figure s facial features, although vaguely Asian, are not definitively Korean. As an artist and diplomat working for rulers in courts across Europe, Rubens frequently revealed his fascination with foreign costume and headdress. With Man in Korean Costume, he depicts the dress of an Asian kingdom that he never visited. During the 1600s, the distinct customs and costumes of Korea were virtually unknown in the West. Prior to the nineteenth century, what little information there was about Korea came to Europe through merchants and missionaries working in Japan and China. The exhibition includes the first Dutch map that correctly depicts Korea as a peninsula instead of showing it as unknown territory or an island above China. It also displays the earliest accounts of the kingdom in Dutch and Italian, demonstrating that Korea may have been less isolated than previously assumed. The exhibition suggests that luxury Korean goods, such as costumes and headdresses, may have made their way to Europe through missionaries working in China.
Page 3 It is likely that Rubens was inspired to draw his Man in Korean Costume while working for the Jesuits in Antwerp, who in 1617 commissioned him to celebrate their missions in Asia. The Getty s drawing has long been associated with a series of portraits by Rubens and his workshop depicting European missionaries who returned to Europe from China wearing luxurious Chinese costume. It also relates to a depiction of a pagan priest portrayed in a monumental altarpiece showing the Jesuit leader Francis Xavier (1506 1552) performing his miracles in Goa. In the exhibition, a display of Rubens s drawings, prints, and the modello for the Francis Xavier altarpiece makes it clear that the artist used Asian costumes and headdresses to enliven his religious narratives and assert the victory of Catholicism overseas. While Rubens was glorifying the success of the Jesuit missions in China and Goa, he apparently paused to consider the Asian idolaters on the other side of the globe: Who were these people the Jesuits were trying to convert to Catholicism and what did they look like? How did their attire differ from what the Jesuits themselves wore? Rubens s imaginative turn seems to have been inspired by a firsthand encounter with never-before-seen Korean costume and headdress that Jesuit missionaries brought to Europe from China. Since we acquired this drawing, it has been the subject of great interest within the Korean community, both in Los Angeles and in Korea, says Schrader. The exhibition marks our effort to provide a perspective on Korean art, history, and culture as seen through the perceptive eye and skillful hand of a European master, Peter Paul Rubens. By bringing together works from two distinct cultures, we hope to take visitors on a cross-cultural encounter that they will find fascinating. Looking East: Rubens s Encounter with Asia is on view March 5 June 9, 2013 at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated book of the same name, edited by Stephanie Schrader and published by Getty Publications. Related public programs will include a lecture, scholarly symposium, four artist-at-work demonstrations featuring Korean costumes and textiles, a fashion show of replica costumes from the Joseon dynasty, and Korean-themed family festival. Modello of The Miracles of St. Francis Xavier Altarpiece, 1617 1618. Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 1640). Oil on canvas. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie.
Page 4 The exhibition s Presenting Sponsor is BBCN Bank, with additional support provided by the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Media Sponsors are The Korea Daily and The Korea Times. RELATED EVENTS All events are free, unless otherwise noted. Seating reservations are required. For reservations and information, please call (310) 440-7300 or visit www.getty.edu. SYMPOSIUM Crossing Borders, Drawing Boundaries: Contextualizing Rubens s Man in Korean Costume Art historians, historians, and political scientists explore early encounters between Europeans and Asians in the fields of art, religion, and commerce. Using the Museum s compelling drawing of a man in a Korean costume by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens as their starting point, participating scholars address the inevitable misunderstandings that arose and the cultural translations that occurred when borders were crossed in the early modern period. Friday, March 15, 9:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. Museum Lecture Hall, Getty Center LECTURE The Many Identities of Peter Paul Rubens s Man in Korean Costume: New Perspectives on Old Interpretations Stephanie Schrader, associate curator of Drawings, the J. Paul Getty Museum, and organizer of the exhibition Looking East: Rubens's Encounter with Asia, surveys and critiques various identities ascribed to the drawing of a man in Korean costume by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, focusing on the contexts of art, religion, trade, and politics. Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 p.m. Harold M. Williams Auditorium, Getty Center PERFORMANCE Hanbok: Mesmerising Beauty Witness the rich and colorful history of Hanbok, a form of traditional dress in Korea, in this fashion show featuring more than 200 costumes by renowned designer Lee Hyun-sook. Inspired by Lee's extensive research on historical royal garments, this journey through Korean culture also includes dynamic performances by professional Korean dancers. Co-presented with the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles. Tickets $25. Tickets available beginning Thursday, February 21. Friday March 22, 7:00 p.m. Harold M. Williams Auditorium, Getty Center
Page 5 ARTIST-AT-WORK DEMONSTRATIONS Artist-at-Work Demonstration: Korean Costume and Textiles Join Korean scholars and designers to explore the origins and influences of traditional clothing, accessories, and textiles from Korea, focusing on dress from the Joseon Dynasty. Discover the beauty and complexity of the Hanbok and other garments. This is a free, drop-in program. Program supported by the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles. All demonstrations take place in the Museum Lecture Hall, Getty Center. Traditional Korean Textiles: The Making and Meaning of Color and Pattern Presented by Hwang Oak Soh Thursday, April 18, 1:00 3:00 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 1:00 3:00 p.m. The Traditional Hanbok and Cheollik: Dress and Accessories in High Society Presented by Sung-Sil Park Thursday, May 9, 1:00 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 12, 1:00 3:00 p.m. The History and Philosophy of Korean Costume: Design, Structure, Rank, and Fashion Presented by Minjee Kim Thursday, May 16, 1:00 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 19, 1:00 3:00 p.m. The Queen's Attire: Ceremonial Dress in the Joseon Dynasty Presented by Hyo Soon Cho Thursday, June 6, 1:00 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 9, 1:00 3:00 p.m. TALKS Curator s Gallery Talk Stephanie Schrader, associate curator of Drawings, the J. Paul Getty Museum, leads a gallery talk on the exhibition. Tuesday, April 9, 2:30 p.m. Museum galleries, Getty Center FAMILY ACTIVITY Family Festival Explore Korean culture through music, dance, and interactive workshops in this free daylong family festival inspired by the exhibition Looking East: Rubens s Encounter with Asia. On display in the galleries is Rubens s drawing Man in Korean Costume, the first depiction of Korean costume in the West. Saturday, April 13, 10:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. Museum Courtyard, Getty Center
Page 6 RELATED PUBLICATIONS Publications are available in the Getty Museum Store, by calling (310) 440-7333, or online at shop.getty.edu. Looking East Rubens's Encounter with Asia Edited by Stephanie Schrader Scholars explore the mystery that surrounds Man in Korean Costume, one of Rubens s most intriguing drawings. (Paperback, $20) # # # The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that includes the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs serve a varied audience from two locations: the Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa in Malibu. The J. Paul Getty Museum collects in seven distinct areas, including Greek and Roman antiquities, European paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture and decorative arts, and photographs gathered internationally. The Museum's mission is to make the collection meaningful and attractive to a broad audience by presenting and interpreting the works of art through educational programs, special exhibitions, publications, conservation, and research. Additional information is available at www.getty.edu. Sign up for e-getty at www.getty.edu/subscribe to receive free monthly highlights of events at the Getty Center and the Getty Villa via e-mail, or visit www.getty.edu for a complete calendar of public programs.