South Korea prosecutors say artist’s ‘fake’ work is genuine

SEOUL: A painting attributed to one of South Korea’s most renowned artists has been declared genuine by state prosecutors, despite the insistence of the late artist herself that it was a fake.

The painting ‘Beautiful Woman’ by Chun Kyung- Ja has been the focus of a bizarre, decades-long dispute over its authenticity, and Monday’s announcement by the prosecutors looks unlikely to end the matter, with Chun’s family vowing to pursue efforts to have it declared a forgery.

Born in 1924 in a small town in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, Chun Kyung- Ja was best known for her paintings of female figures and flowers using vivid primary colours that broke with traditional South Korean styles.

Her works have recently sold at auction for between 700,000 and 1 million.

Before her death last year at the age of 91, Chun had repeatedly insisted that ‘Beautiful Woman’ – a 1971 portrait owned by the South’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) – was not one of hers.

“Parents can recognise their children. That is not my painting,” she insisted.

The museum was equally adamant that it was, and in April a prosecutorial probe was launched after one of Chun’s daughters filed a complaint, accusing former and current MMCA officials of hurting the artist’s reputation by promoting the painting as authentic.

But in their report on Monday, the prosecutors found in favour of the museum, citing forensic evidence and the opinion of local art experts. — AFP