Spring outing destination... Oil Tank Culture Park in Sangam to host masterpieces
The exhibition "The Magnificent Hermitage," which will showcase more than 80 digital works from The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, will run from April 30 to July 30, 2026, at Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul. Using ultra-precise scanning technology applied in the aerospace industry, visitors will be able to examine the brushstrokes and canvas texture of the masterpieces in fine detail. Early bird tickets are currently available for 13,200 won for adults.
The exhibition, held at Oil Tank Culture Park from April 30 to July 30, will present more than 80 digital works from The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. As the first of its kind in Asia, the show uses ultra-precise scanning technology developed for the aerospace industry, allowing visitors to closely view the brushstrokes, canvas texture and layers of color in the masterpieces.
The exhibition will feature major Hermitage holdings, including Henri Matisse's "Dance" and Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son." Matisse's "Dance" was commissioned in 1909 by Sergei Ivanovich Shchukin, a wealthy Russian textile industrialist, to decorate his Moscow mansion. When it was first shown in Paris, it was harshly criticized for its nude figures and primitive style. Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son" is regarded as the artist's final masterpiece, completed shortly before his death, and captures a son's repentance and a father's love.
In the Italian Renaissance collection, two Madonna paintings by Leonardo da Vinci draw attention. "Benois Madonna" (1478-1480) is considered the first work in which da Vinci depicted a human, approachable Virgin Mary, offering a warm everyday scene unlike medieval religious paintings. "Madonna Litta" (1490s) is praised as the essence of Renaissance painting for portraying a sacred figure while also capturing a deeply human moment.
The Hermitage is classified alongside the British Museum and the Louvre Museum as one of the world's three greatest museums, with a collection of 3 million items. It holds more than 20 Rembrandt works, including pieces Catherine II of Russia purchased from a French nobleman in 1766. At the time, Catherine II collected masterpieces through agents across Europe in an effort to bring Western European culture to Russia.
This exhibition recreates the halls, decorations and architectural structure of the Winter Palace as large-scale media art using digital technology. Early bird tickets are currently available at 13,200 won for adults, a 40 percent discount. The Hermitage means "a place of rest" or "hermitage," and was originally the private museum of the Russian emperor.
This content was prepared by MaeKyung Biz Content Planning Team based on official announcements and press releases.
