Lee Jung-seob (1916-1956) is a Korean modern master whose story is inseparable from the bull. From dynamic, powerful oxen to lonely, frail ones, he channeled the upheavals of his life – wartime exile, separation from his family, and poverty – into bold, expressive lines. Influenced by Georges Rouault and the poet Baek Seok, he also painted tender family scenes and pioneered inventive foil paintings (eunjihwa), three of which entered MoMA’s collection. His work stands as a solitary, deeply moving record of a turbulent life.