Page 12 - Art First: Simon Morley: Lost Horizon
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a tight crevasse in a hillside and squeezes through, emerging on the other side
to see a village, lush fields, ponds, mulberry and willow trees, and bamboo.
e villagers accept the fisherman into their homes, and he speaks to them of
the dynastic changes and continual warfare experienced by the people since the
villagers became separated from the rest of China. Aer a stay of several days the
fisherman departs with well wishes and the request from the villagers that he keep
their paradise a secret. But the fisherman leaves markers along the way so that he
can return, and soon leads an expedition to find it again. However, all attempts
fail, and since that time no one has ever re-entered the ‘Peach Blossom Paradise.’
Ahn Gyeon’s masterpiece A Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Paradise is there-
fore a painting of a dream of a poem. We don’t see the community itself— just
three outlying and empty buildings at the edge of the grove at the middle and top
right of the painting. So we can therefore only imagine what it’s like.
e subsequent history of the royal commissioner and the painting itself are tell -
ing: in 1453 Prince Anpyeong was sent into exile, and soon aerwards was sen-
tenced to death for opposing the usurpation of the Joseon throne by his brother,
Sejo. Ahn Gyeon’s painting was stolen by Japanese invaders during the 1592–98
Imjin War, and ever since has been kept in Japan. It’s current custodian, Tenri
Uni versity, has refused to return the handscroll to Korea, and to date has permit-
ted it to be exhibited twice in South Korea. In the meantime, Koreans must make
do with a copy, which is all I’ve managed to see too.
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