Sea, Cranes and Peaches

About the Art

New research on this painting led to it being reidentified as a Korean painting from the early twentieth century and related to the royal court. Despite its relatively recent date, it was in poor condition. Before it came to the museum in 1941, it had been remounted on six large, flat panels and had poor silk patches and inpainting across the bottom. Over time, the painting started to separate from the panels, and cracks and tears developed on the surface, leading to the painting being in storage for decades. In 2019, the painting underwent extensive conservation by specialist conservators in South Korea, including remounting it in its most likely original configuration, a twelve-panel folding screen.

FEATURED IMAGE
Artist(s) unknown (Korean), Sea, Cranes and Peaches, late 19th–early 20th century, ink, colors and gold on silk, 98 7/16 x 307 1/16 inches (250 x 780 cm). Gift of Mrs. Jefferson Patterson, 1941.22