Artist behind portraits on Korean banknotes dies at 88
Korean painter Lee Jong-sang, best known for creating the portraits of Confucian scholar Yi I and his mother, Shin Saimdang, featured on Korean banknotes, died Tuesday. He was 88. Lee, who worked under the pen name Ilrang, was born in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province, in 1938. He graduated from Daejeon High School and Seoul National University's (SNU) College of Fine Arts, where he studied…
Korean painter Lee Jong-sang, renowned for his portraits of Confucian scholar Yi I and his mother Shin Saimdang that grace Korean banknotes, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88. Born in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province in 1938, Lee adopted the pen name Ilrang. After graduating from Daejeon High School and Seoul National University's College of Fine Arts, where he specialized in painting, he pursued further studies, earning both a master's and doctoral degree in philosophy from Dongguk University.
He began teaching at Seoul National University's Department of Oriental Painting in 1968 and later held the position of department director. Lee also contributed as an expert member of the museum subcommittee within the Cultural Heritage Committee. Primarily known for his traditional Korean paintings, including murals and portraits, Lee sought to modernize Korean art by incorporating new subjects and techniques while maintaining an indigenous aesthetic that set him apart from Western styles.
His extensive research into ancient Goguryeo murals from tombs led him to view them as a source for Korean color painting.
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- Artist behind portraits on Korean banknotes dies at 88 koreatimes.co.kr
