"Master Behind 5,000 and 50,000 Won Currency Portraits"…Korean Painter Lee Jongsang Dies at 88

The First Artist to Create Mother-and-Son Portraits on Korean Banknotes
Pioneering the Autonomy of Korean Art, Stirring "Waves" in the Art World

Lee Jongsang, a master of Korean painting who created the portraits of Yulgok Yi on the 5,000 won banknote and Shin Saimdang on the 50,000 won banknote, among other renowned mother-and-son figures depicted on Korean currency, passed away on September 8 at the age of 88.

The late painter Lee Jongsang featured on the lecture poster "Meeting Painter Lee Jongsang" held at the National Jeonju Museum on November 17, 2023. The lecture topic was the Autonomy of National Culture and the Theory of Cultural Territory. National Jeonju Museum

Known by his pen name "Illang," meaning "the first wave" or "a high and great wave," he made powerful waves in the Korean art world throughout his career.

Lee often carried the distinction of being "the first." Born in 1938 in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province, he majored in Oriental Painting at Seoul National University and earned his PhD in Eastern Philosophy from Dongguk University. While still a university student, beginning in 1961, he was awarded special prizes at the National Art Exhibition of Korea for three consecutive years, becoming the youngest artist ever to earn a recommendation from the national exhibition.

The essence of a wave, for Lee, was "autonomy." He devoted his life to the "autonomy of Korean art," seeking modernity in Korean history and traditional materials, rather than simply following Western art trends.

His most prominent achievements include research on Goguryeo tomb murals and a modern reinterpretation of traditional landscape art in the "Modern Jingyeong (True-view Landscape)" series. In 1997, he was invited by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to paint a large mural, 71.3 meters in length, on the fortress wall at the Carrousel du Louvre.

Portraits of Yulgok Yi and Shin Saimdang on 5,000 won and 50,000 won banknotes. Bank of Korea

To the general public, he left a lasting impression as the artist behind Korea's currency portraits. In addition to the portrait of Yulgok Yi on the 5,000 won note and Shin Saimdang on the 50,000 won note, he created official state portraits of historical figures such as Ureuk, King Gwanggaeto the Great, the Buddhist monk Wonhyo, and Jang Bogo.

During his lifetime, Lee emphasized that banknotes are "public assets used by the nation for 30 to 50 years and embody the cultural value containing the pride of its people." From 1977, he also led the “Cultural Roots Planting Movement” for Dokdo, visiting the islets for decades to strengthen cultural ties.

He also nurtured future generations as a professor at the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University, as well as serving as a museum and art gallery director. In 2004, he was elected as a member of the National Academy of Arts and was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit (Silver Crown).

His mortuary is located at the funeral hall of Korea University Anam Hospital in Seongbuk District, Seoul, and the funeral is scheduled for September 11 at 8 a.m.

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