Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Conn-young.

What do you have for us today?

Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh-- they're some of the biggest names in the art world,

and they're all Impressionist artists. Many of their works are on display at the

Orsay museum in Paris, but some of them are now in Korea for the very first time.

Let's take a look.

She stands with an umbrella in hand, her dress swaying in the winds. This priceless painting

is a masterpiece by one of the founders of French Impressionism, Claude Monet.

And this one, a snake charmer in the brush,... Henri Rousseau is another widely recognized

piece, identifiable with the Impressionism art movement, a movement that began in France.

These are just a few of the Impressionist works brought across the sea from their motherland,...

and they make up this exhibition of Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay.

"I'm pleased to bring works from the Orsay museum to the National Museum of Korea in

Seoul. France is a legendary source of art, so I believe it's good to share these works

with others."

175 works have been brought from the world renowned Museum in France, all from the Impressionism

art era. The works of the pioneering Impressionist

artists had a different way of seeing things, their bold brush strokes and disregard for

lines and conformity shocked the world then, but now are priceless to our world.

These works are from the late 19th early 20th century legends, along with works that show

France during that transitional time period,... a time when life was quickly changing, and

art was taking a bold stance in society.

"It's really important for us to see works from that time period in Europe where society

and civilization was reflected upon by the artists. It's also important for our museum

to expand its range, and we're grateful for this exhibition here at the National Museum."

And it's not just limited to paintings,... the museum has brought statues, even pictures,

all from the legendary museum,.. all giving us a glimpse into the defining period in art.

These are obviously just a few of the many works housed at the Orsay museum. For those

that are familiar with the world-renowned museum, tell us a little more about it.

Right so the museum was built between 1898 and 1900, but it was originally intended as

a railway station. After it failed as a museum, they repurposed

it in the '70s to be a bridge between the legendary Louvre and the National Museum of

Modern Art in France. It has since grown to include paintings, sculptures,

furniture, and photography, becoming the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist

masterpieces in the world.

But if I recall correctly, this isn't the first time the Orsay museum has worked with

Korea.

This is actually the fourth time this museum has come to Korea, but this time, they've

come with a different agenda. Obviously they want to share their masterpieces,

but they also really made it a point to choose all the works and photographs that depict

what Impressionism looked like at that time in Paris.

Thank you for that report.

My pleasure.