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영어

The Korean Beauty discourses in Korean art history and art critique started during the Japanese colonial period in the early 20th century. The most famous scholar of the Korean Beauty discourses is Yanagi Muneyosi, an art historian and harsh critic of Japanese imperialism. He defined the main characteristics of Korean Beauty as “Beauty of White”, “Beauty of Line” and “Beauty of sorrow”. However, his theory of Korean Beauty was based on a fragmental and personal opinion of his own taste. Here I reconsider the old Korean Beauty discourses in the 20th century in the context of Korean art history and modern Korean art. I want to redefine the main characteristics of Korean Beauty as “Beauty of free spirit and audacity with traditional five colors” in consideration of many old Korean art objects related not only with diverse crafts and Buddhist arts but also with famous contemporary Korean Artists.