Albert Herter (American, 1871–1950). <em>Pilgun Yoon</em>, ca. 1923. Oil on canvas, 70 1/8 x 41 1/4 in. (178.1 x 104.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt, 32.68. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 32.68_PS22.jpg)

Albert Herter (American, 1871–1950). Pilgun Yoon, ca. 1923. Oil on canvas, 70 1/8 x 41 1/4 in. (178.1 x 104.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt, 32.68. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 32.68_PS22.jpg)

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

What is he wearing?

That's a good question! Albert Herter's "Pilgun Yoon Korean Actor in Theatrical Costume" depicts a Korean Actor in a traditional Qing Dynasty royal costume. . . playing Aladdin for a stage play.

I'm very confused about that. Aladdin isn't a Chinese story, right? I wonder how it became like that?

Great question! Herter was working with a very "Oriental" view of the East, in which anything Asian is exotic yet simultaneously homogenous and interchangeable. Obviously this kind of generalization and inaccuracy seems problematic to us today. However, in the past people often adopted different visual motifs and aesthetics without devoting much time to understanding different cultures beyond the surface.

History is complicated, and the western gaze of the exotic is very real. You might be more familiar with the French obsession with Japan known as "Japonisme," which is pretty similar.

What was the artist try to say when he painted this?

This is a portrait of the actor Pilgun Yoon in his costume for his role of Aladdin. The artist was using the traditional format of formal Chinese portraiture. The emphasis is definitely on the rich textiles.

This painting plays into the popularity of exoticism in the later 19th century, when Europeans and Americans were fascinated by all things foreign, especially Asian and Middle Eastern.

I am curious about Albert Herter’s obsession with Chinese decorative arts. Would you have more information about this particular painting and its subject?

This is quite a frequently asked about painting and we have been on the search for more information on the subject, Pilgun Yoon, for a long time.

The painting shows Yoon in the role of Aladdin, which was a popular theatrical production for Asian theater troupes to perform for American and English audiences.

Tell me more.

Many of Albert Herter's works reflect an interest in the Aesthetic Movement style. This painting shows Korean actor Pilgun Yoon in the role of Aladdin, which was a popular theatrical production for Asian theater troupes to performs at the time for American and English audiences.

Herter uses traditional, formal Chines portraiture as source material. You'll notice this in the solid colored background, the frontality of the subject, and the seated pose. His costume is actually a stylized variation on Qing dynasty court robes.

It may come as a surprise to learn that the character of Aladdin was originally depicted as Chinese, in both illustrations and theatrical productions. The story of Aladdin was an 18th century addition to 1001 Nights by French translator Antoine Galland. The original version takes place in a mythical version of China.

Tell me more.

You're looking at the portrait of actor Pilgun Yoon that was painted by Albert Herter in 1923. Pilgun Yoon is dressed here in the costume he wore to play Aladdin on stage.

The clothing is inspired by traditional Qing Dynasty royal costume. Herter also took cues from royal Chinese portraiture when painting the actor, showing this seated, frontal pose!

In the late 19th century, Orientalism was popular amongst Europeans and Americans, an aesthetic that emphasized all things "exotic" from Asia and the Middle East. This portrait plays into that trend.

Pilgun Yoon

Albert Herter

American Art

On View: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Witness

The story of Aladdin and his magical lamp enjoyed considerable popularity with U.S. theater audiences during the early twentieth century, as did productions with ornate costumes, elaborate sets, and Asian acting troupes, often performing in pantomime.

In this image of the Korean actor Pilgun Yoon in the role of Aladdin, Albert Herter (son of Christian Herter of the American furniture firm Herter Brothers, whose cabinet is nearby) referred to the strict frontal poses of formal Chinese portraiture. His interest in a decorative aesthetic is evident in the robe’s elaborate pattern, based on Chinese Qing dynasty court dress.

ARTIST Albert Herter, American, 1871–1950

MEDIUM Oil on canvas

DATES ca. 1923

DIMENSIONS 70 1/8 x 41 1/4 in. (178.1 x 104.7 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Signed lower left: "Albert Herter"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 32.68

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Witness

CAPTION Albert Herter (American, 1871–1950). Pilgun Yoon, ca. 1923. Oil on canvas, 70 1/8 x 41 1/4 in. (178.1 x 104.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt, 32.68. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 32.68_PS22.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 32.68_PS22.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2024

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT © Estate of Albert Herter

The Brooklyn Museum holds a non-exclusive license to reproduce images of this work of art from the rights holder named here. The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org. If you wish to contact the rights holder for this work, please email copyright@brooklynmuseum.org and we will assist if we can.

RECORD COMPLETENESS

Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.

Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

What is he wearing?

That's a good question! Albert Herter's "Pilgun Yoon Korean Actor in Theatrical Costume" depicts a Korean Actor in a traditional Qing Dynasty royal costume. . . playing Aladdin for a stage play.

I'm very confused about that. Aladdin isn't a Chinese story, right? I wonder how it became like that?

History is complicated, and the western gaze of the exotic is very real. You might be more familiar with the French obsession with Japan known as "Japonisme," which is pretty similar.

What was the artist try to say when he painted this?

This painting plays into the popularity of exoticism in the later 19th century, when Europeans and Americans were fascinated by all things foreign, especially Asian and Middle Eastern.

I am curious about Albert Herter’s obsession with Chinese decorative arts. Would you have more information about this particular painting and its subject?

This is quite a frequently asked about painting and we have been on the search for more information on the subject, Pilgun Yoon, for a long time.

The painting shows Yoon in the role of Aladdin, which was a popular theatrical production for Asian theater troupes to perform for American and English audiences.

Tell me more.

You're looking at the portrait of actor Pilgun Yoon that was painted by Albert Herter in 1923. Pilgun Yoon is dressed here in the costume he wore to play Aladdin on stage.

The clothing is inspired by traditional Qing Dynasty royal costume. Herter also took cues from royal Chinese portraiture when painting the actor, showing this seated, frontal pose!

In the late 19th century, Orientalism was popular amongst Europeans and Americans, an aesthetic that emphasized all things "exotic" from Asia and the Middle East. This portrait plays into that trend.