Målning, Bildkonst, Painting, Graphic arts

Anni Kalbak's collection (purchased)
Anni Kalbak (born Anni Steinert Sørensen) was the wife of Dr. Kaj Algot Kalbak (1909–1992), a Danish medical doctor, who worked as chief physician and head of the Department for Clinical Microbiology at the National Medical Center in Seoul from 1958 to 1962. The establishment of the National Medical centre (NMC) was a joint medical project between the Scandinavian countries, the UNKRA (United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency) and the Korean government. The Swedish contribution to the NMC was a continuation of the Swedish Red Cross Hospital in Busan that was operated during and after the Korean war (1950–1958). While living in Korea, Dr. Kalbak built a collection of over 500 objects, including archaeological and ethnographic material and art objects, from a period spanning from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE) to the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) that he presumably purchased from antique shops. It can be assumed that Anni Kalbak acquired objects for her own collection during this time, perhaps from the same shops. After returning to Denmark, Dr. Kalbak donated his collection to the National Museum of Denmark. Anni Kalbak’s collection of more than 90 objects was purchased by the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in 1987. Her collection includes bronze objects from the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), a great variety of ceramic objects from the Three Kingdoms period, and the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, and a collection of over 40 paintings from the Joseon dynasty. Especially the acquisition of the painting collection held significance for the Museum as there were not many Korean paintings in the collection up to that time.

This album leaf was painted in ink and colours on silk. A painter is depicted in the midst of painting with a brush in his hand, pointing with one finger to a painting of a four-clawed dragon on a wall in front of him. Next to him, a boy assists the painter by holding an ink stone containing ink. The head of the boy is turned towards the painting so that only the back of his head is visible. Thin, rigid brushstrokes delineate the dress of the two figures. The robes are swept to one side as if caught by a sudden gust of wind. Subdued colours were used for the flesh areas and the dress in the figures. In the background, a tree is rendered with ink wash. The pronounced shading and attention to details in the portrayal of the dragon makes it appear as if it had just come to life. To the right, an inscription begins with the title of the painting "the brush creates wind and clouds" (筆成風雲), meaning that the brush has brought the painted dragon to life and the dragon (as was generally believed) brings wind and rain . The inscription continues: "On an autumn day in the dinghai-year [1887?] I was in the Tingsong [Listening to the Pines] Pavilion, having responded to an invitation of the superior man Mr Shouweng to an elegant gathering. I look forward to corrections of my words. Written (and painted) by Wang Xianbin from Zhulin" (丁亥秋日處于聽松軒, 以應綬翁先生大人雅屬, 既希征言, 竺隣王賢賓寫). This latter part of the inscription describes the circumstances of the event of the painting indicating the date and place of production as well as the name of the artist.

The upper seal (square, intaglio) reads "Xianbin" (賢賓); in the lower seal (square, relief) the first character is effaced and the second character reads "Lin" (林).

Siggstedt, M. 2017. Inscriptions. [E-mail] Message to I. Leemann. Sent 6.12.2017. [Accessed 6 December 2017].
Petersen, M. 2008. Collecting Korean Shamanism: Biographies & Collecting Devices. PhD. Copenhagen: Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen, p. 38.
Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen. 2017. Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs kunstnerleksikon. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.kulturarv.dk/kid/VisWeilbach.do?kunstnerId=7790&wsektion=alle. [Accessed 11 October 2017].
Östberg, S.S. 2014. The Swedish Red Cross Hospital in Busan, 1950-1958: A Study of Its Transition from a Military to a Civilian Hospital. Korea Journal, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 152, 154. And 박지욱. 2010. 박지욱 : 한국전쟁과 부산 스웨덴 적십자 야전병원의 의료구호활동(The Medical Assistance of the Swedish Red Cross Field Hospital in Busan during and after the Korean War). 의사학 (Korean Journal of Medical History), Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 189-208.
덴마크의『韓國의집』과 李畵伯個展. 1967. 동아일보, 19 January 1967. 5면 생활/문화.
Wirgin, J. & Hansson-Sidwall, B. 1990. Östasiatiska Museet och Föreningen Östasiatiska Museets Vänner, 1987-1988. 1st ed. Stockholm: Östasiatiska Museet.

"Penseln skapar moln och regn". Omonterat albumblad. Tusch och lätta färger på siden.
En målare i färd med att måla en drake som får liv. Bredvid en uppvaktande pojke som håller tuschstenen. Bakom målaren ett träd, annars tom bakgrund. Lätt, elegant penselarbete med en medveten darrig effekt (doubi).