Sosangpalkyungdo, a Drained Landscape Painting to Japan, Comes Home

`Sosangpalkyungdo`, a 16th century painting, a national treasure, is coming home.

A president of Chunli Development Corp., Kim Yong- Do has decided to donate his collection of `Sosangpalkyungdo` to the National Central Museum, after a meeting with the Museum officials in Japan.

`Sosangpalkyungdo` is one of the representative genres in Chosun Dynasty; in a series of 8 pictures, it captures beautiful scenery of Dunting Lake in Hunan Castle in China where Shaosui Liver and Shangjang Liver meet.

While nobody knows who painted this picture with the ink from India, this 91 x 47.7 cm painting with 8 pictures including Sancichunglam (a landscape of a morning in the spring), Yunsamojong (a landscape of the temple with fog and sound of bell in the evening), Kangchunmosul ( a landscape of the liver and sky with snow), is valued as a masterpiece by the experts.

An expert said ``this is a best quality Sosangpalkyungdo that expresses the change of seasons with a brilliant shading. The structure of the painting is also very outstanding.`` The painting is currently a hanging picture, but it was originally a folding screen. The painting is valued at 5 billion won and this is the greatest amount for a single item donation. There is another `Sosangpalkyungdo` in Korea that is allegedly done by An-Kyun, but this painting is more highly valued than that of An-Kyun`s because of its artistic value and scale.

Following the will of the donator, the National Central Museum will exhibit the painting in November in the Chinjoo National Museum, where Kyungnam Sachun, Kim Young-Do`s hometown, is at near.

Kim Young-Do went to Japan at age of 8 with his father and had a great success from Iron business. He is a collector of Korean cultural assets in Japan who has around 1000 pieces. He donated 170 pieces in 1997 and last year.

Lee Kwawg-Pyo kplee@donga.com