From Hoam Lee Byung-chul's Calligraphy to 'Samto' Original Artworks... K Auction Online Auction

Premium Online Auction on July 21
Original Artworks Featured in the Magazine and Samto Collection by Park Nosu, Kim Kichang, Song Sunam, and More to Be Unveiled

Original artworks that graced the covers and inner pages of the monthly magazine 'Samtoh' are being put up for auction. On July 6, K Auction announced that it will offer a total of 60 pieces, including 49 original artworks featured in 'Samtoh' and 11 pieces from the Samtoh collection, at its Premium Online Auction on the 21st. The total estimated value of the auction is around 80 million won. Some works will be auctioned together with both the original artwork and the physical magazine issue in which they appeared, adding historical documentation of publishing culture to art collecting.

Ink and light color painting by Kim Ki-chang Unbo featured in the December 1977 issue of Samto (left photo). Samto

Original artworks that graced the covers and inner pages of the monthly magazine 'Samtoh' are being put up for auction. On July 6, K Auction announced that it will offer a total of 60 pieces, including 49 original artworks featured in 'Samtoh' and 11 pieces from the Samtoh collection, at its Premium Online Auction on the 21st. The total estimated value of the auction is around 80 million won. Some works will be auctioned together with both the original artwork and the physical magazine issue in which they appeared, adding historical documentation of publishing culture to art collecting.

'Samtoh' was first published in April 1970 by former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jae-soon, with the aim of being a 'culture magazine for the happiness of ordinary people.' The magazine was based on the principle of using only Hangul and plain Korean language, and at its peak reached a circulation of 500,000 copies. Notable regular contributors included Pi Chun-deuk, Buddhist monk Beopjeong, Choi In-ho, Sister Lee Hae-in, and Jung Chae-bong. It is also known as a publication where novelist Han Kang and poet Jeong Ho-seung once worked as editorial staff.

This auction is noteworthy in that it highlights the role 'Samtoh' played as a channel for art to the public. In the 1970s, as Korea's art scene was shaping a gallery-centered market structure, art museums and galleries remained inaccessible to many. By featuring original works by contemporary artists on its covers and inner pages, 'Samtoh' became a gateway for hundreds of thousands of readers to encounter modern and contemporary Korean art every month.

Landscape painting by Park Nosu featured on the cover of Monthly Samtoh, January 1977 issue. Samtoh

The original artworks for auction were actually published in the magazine between the 1970s and 2002. The genres are diverse, including ink and light color, oil painting, and calligraphy. Each work's year, issue number, and whether it appeared on the cover or inside pages can be verified from publishing records.

One of the main pieces is 'Landscape' by Namjeong Park Nosu. This ink and light color painting on paper was featured on the cover of the January 1977 issue of 'Monthly Samtoh', with a starting bid of 1 million won. Son Eung-seong's 'Suburban Landscape', an oil painting featured on the cover of the July 1977 issue, opens at 4 million won.

'Ceramics' by Kim Ki-chang Unbo will also go under the hammer. This ink and light color painting on paper, created in 1972, was published on page 41 of the February 1972 issue of 'Monthly Samtoh'. The starting bid is 3 million won. 'Morning Glory' by Namcheon Song Sunam, featured on page 41 of the August 1970 issue, has a starting bid of 500,000 won.

Hoam Lee Byung-chul 'Gongsurae Gongsugeo'. K Auction

Eleven additional pieces from the Samtoh collection will also be offered. The highlight is 'Gongsurae Gongsugeo,' a calligraphy work by Samsung Group founder Hoam Lee Byung-chul. Written in ink on paper in 1981, this piece hung for years in the office of the chairman of Samtoh. Making its auction debut, the starting bid is 15 million won.

Other lots include 'Panorama 2008', an installation work by Park Seon-gi, and a set of six 'Chaekgado' folk paintings from the late Joseon Dynasty. 'Panorama 2008' starts at 8 million won, while the six-piece 'Chaekgado' set starts at 5 million won.

The preview will be held at the K Auction exhibition hall in Gangnam, Seoul from July 11 through 4 p.m. on July 21. Bidding will be available 24 hours a day on the K Auction website during the preview period, and the auction will close sequentially in groups of 10 works every five minutes starting at 4 p.m. on the 21st.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.