​​A Korean artist's portrait of a lifetime, unfolded

Curator of the Korean Collection, Sang-ah Kim unpacks this ten-panel folding screen depicting the life of the painter Chae Yongsin who lived in Korea from 1850–1941. The screen draws on pyeongsaengdo, a genre of painting popular in the late Joseon period that typically presents an idealised life across a series of panels. What makes this screen so unusual is that it depicts a real person's story. This rare screen will be on display in the Korea exhibition at the British Museum until 31 January 27. This exhibition, drawn from the National Bequest of Lee Kun-Hee's Collection, is organised by the British Museum, the National Museum of Korea, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. Object: Life of Chae Yongsin, 10-panel folding screen Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:45 The object 03:00 As a young boy 03:55 The wedding ceremony 04:30 Passing military exams 05:15 Training the military 05:28 Painting the Emperor 06:48 The 60th Birthday 07:30 Reflections Image credits Throughout: Ten-panel folding screen by Chae Yongsin – In the collection of the National Museum of Korea 01:50 Fragment of a Pyeongsaengdo – In the collection of the British Museum 05:58 Photograph of Emperor Gojong of Korea, by Percival Lowell, 1884 06:12 Portrait of Emperor Gojong, by Chae Yong-sin – In the collection of the National Museum of Korea