By Park Han-sol
To Lee Jung-seob, one of the most iconic modern painters of Korea, a cow was much more than a common farm animal found in rural communities. Serving as one of the central themes in his work, the creature was a symbol of Korea s ― or Joseon s ― national identity and spirit under Japanese colonial rule.
The cattle in Lee s White Ox straining to take a step forward describes the unceasing sacrifice and labor of the people of Joseon. Among Lee s only five known surviving paintings of white bulls, the said piece s whereabouts had been unknown since it was on display in the early 1970s.