Andy Warhol’s “Joseph Beuys” in black, white and red anchors the Pop Art section of the From Monet to Warhol exhibit in Seoul, South Korea, June 27, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
The From Monet to Andy Warhol exhibition at the Sejong Center Art Museum in Seoul is a journey through 400 years of artistic evolution.
Open through Aug. 31, the exhibit features 143 original works by 89 iconic artists, including Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol.
On loan from the Johannesburg Art Gallery, the collection is arranged in nine sections tracing the evolution of Western art from the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age to the rise of 20th-century Modernism.
Visitors to the From Monet to Warhol begin with works influenced by Baroque and Dutch realism, in which artists like Frans Hals and Jacob van Ruisdael captured ordinary life with dramatic lighting and detail. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
A 19th-century still life of tulips and roses is displayed at the From Monet to Warhol exhibit in Seoul, South Korea, June 27, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Visitors begin with works influenced by Baroque and Dutch realism, in which artists like Frans Hals and Jacob van Ruisdael captured ordinary life with dramatic lighting and detail.
Moving forward, the exhibit highlights Impressionism then transitions into the brushwork of Van Gogh’s Post-Impressionism, the fractured forms of Picasso’s Cubism, and Warhol’s bright, consumer-driven Pop Art.
Claude Monet’s “Le Printemps” draws viewers into a sunlit orchard at the From Monet to Warhol exhibit in Seoul, South Korea, June 27, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Curated by Italian art historian Simona Bartolena, the exhibition also includes South African works that explore the relationship between colonial influence and local identity, a rare combination of European and African perspectives.
The exhibition attracted more than 200,000 visitors during previous showings in Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju, according to the Sejong Center’s website. This Seoul stop marks the final leg of its Korean tour.
A somber, blue-toned portrait by German artist Rainer Fetting is displayed in the late-20th-century wing of the From Monet to Warhol exhibition in Seoul, South Korea, June 27, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
Interactive features include a free audio guide voiced by Korean celebrities Kim Chan-yong and Shim Seong-a, as well as family-friendly programs tied to art education. English is also available.
The Sejong Center, in the city’s Jongno District, is a worthwhile outing for art aficionados and military families alike.
Patrons study works by Edgar Degas, including a top-hatted male portrait, at the From Monet to Warhol exhibit in Seoul, South Korea, June 27, 2025. (Trevares Johnson/Stars and Stripes)
From Monet to Andy Warhol
Location: 175, Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Hours: The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Mondays and holidays.
Prices: Tickets are available online. Adult admission is 20,000 won, or $14.50; youth for 16,000 won and children for 12,000 won.
Dress: Casual
Directions: Easily accessible by subway and just a short distance from Yongsan Garrison.
Information: Online: sejongpac.or.kr
