WKorean painting includes paintings made in Korea or by overseas Koreans on all surfaces. The earliest surviving Korean paintings are murals in the Goguryeo tombs, of which considerable numbers survive, the oldest from some 2,000 years ago, with varied scenes including dancers, hunting and spirits. The Takamatsuzuka Tomb in Japan, from the 7th-century end of the Goguryeo period, has paintings in Goguryeo style that were either done by Korean artists, or Japanese one trained by Koreans. But more often influences came into Korea from China. Until the Joseon dynasty the primary influence was Chinese painting though done with Korean landscapes, facial features, Buddhist topics, and an emphasis on celestial observation in keeping with the rapid development of Korean astronomy.
WChaekgeori, translated as "books and things", is a genre of still-life painting from the Joseon period of Korea that features books as the dominant subject. The chaekgeori tradition flourished from the second half of the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century and was enjoyed by all members of the population, from the king to the commoners, revealing the infatuation with books and learning in Korean culture.
WDonggwoldo is a representative Korean painting of the early 19th century, depicting the two royal palaces, Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung during the Joseon Dynasty. Donggwol is an alternative name of Changdeokgung, located to the East of the main royal palace of the dynasty, Gyeongbokgung. However, the picture also includes Changgyeonggung, an adjacent palace to the former.
WPungaknaesan chongramdo is a famous landscape painted by Jeong Seon during the reign of King Yeongjo. The title literally means "Overview of Mt. Pungak", the Autumn name of the Diamond Mountains. The painting is currently held and managed by the Gansong Art Museum.
WGeumgang jeondo is a famous landscape painted by Jeong Seon during the reign of King Yeongjo. The title literally means "General view of Mt. Geumgangsan" or The Diamond Mountains). It was classified as the 217th National Treasure of South Korea on August 6, 1984. The painting is currently held and managed by the Ho-Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province and is owned by Lee Kun-hee.
WGolden Cock and Hen is a painting from Korea’s Joseon dynastic period. The painting, which belongs to the early 19th century, was painted by an unknown artist. The painting itself measures about 114.3 cm in height and 45.7 cm in width. With the decorative elements, the complete painting measures 200.7 cm in height and 62.9 cm in width. This painting represents a combination of two established themes of Korean painting: birds and flowers. Also it consists of ten symbols of longevity—the sun, mountains eater, rocks, clouds, pine trees, turtles, cranes, deers and mushrooms. In the central scene, there is a cock and hens perched on a tree and a rock respectively. This represents fortune and future. Currently, the painting is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States.
WGukjeong chumyo is an 18th-century Korean painting depicting a crouching cat under wild chrysanthemum on an autumn day. It was drawn by Byeon Sang-byeok, a representative animal painter during the late period of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). Gukjeong chumyo literally means "An autumn cat in a garden with chrysanthemum" and is of the yeongmohwa, or animal painting, genre. It is painted on paper with light coloring over the ink and wash painting (sumukhwa). The size of the painting is 29.5 cm (11.6 in) in height and 23.4 cm (9.2 in) in width. It is currently stored at Gansong Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea.
WGwaebul (괘불), meaning "Large Buddhist Banner Painting," are extremely large-scale Buddhist scroll paintings found throughout Korea. They are fairly rare, and only 53 were studied between 1986 and 2001. The paintings are typically brought out only rarely for special festivals or holidays such as Buddha's Birthday or Gwaebul Festivals when they are unrolled and hung from tall poles in the temple courtyard. When not in use, gwaebul are stored in a box behind the altar in a temple hall.
WInk wash painting is a type of Chinese and East Asian ink brush painting which uses the same black ink used in Chinese calligraphy in different concentrations. Emerging in Tang dynasty China (618–907), it overturned earlier, more realistic techniques. It is typically monochrome, using only shades of black, with a great emphasis on virtuoso brushwork and conveying the perceived "spirit" or "essence" of a subject over the direct imitation. It flourished from the Song dynasty in China (960–1279) onwards, as well as in Japan after it was introduced by Zen Buddhist monks in the 14th century. Western scholars divide Chinese painting into three times: Times of Representation, Times of Expression, and Historical Oriental Art. The Chinese have their own views different from this, and they believe that contemporary Chinese ink wash paintings present a state of coexistence of pluralism.
WInwangjesaekdo is a landscape painting by the famous Jeong Seon. It was painted during the reign of Joseon Dynasty King Yeongjo in 1751, at his birthplace in Cheongun-dong at Jongno District, modern-day Seoul. It was designated by the South Korean government as the 216th National Treasure of Korea on August 6, 1984. The painting is currently held and managed by the Ho-Am Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Previously in possession of Lee Kun-hee, it has been donated to the National Museum of Korea following his death in 2020
WIrworobongdo is a Korean folding screen with a highly stylized landscape painting of a sun and moon, five peaks which always was set behind Eojwa, the king’s royal throne during the Joseon Dynasty. It literally means "Painting of the Sun, Moon and the Five Peaks" and is also called "Irwoldo" or "Irwolgonryundo". The sun and moon symbolize the king and queen while the five peaks denotes a mythical place. The screen serves to display the majesty of the Joseon royal court.
WThis list is of Buddhist paintings from Goryeo-Dynasty Korea (918-1392). Approximately one hundred and sixty hanging scrolls are known.
WMinhwa refers to Korean folk art produced mostly by itinerant or unknown artists without formal training, emulating contemporary trends in fine art for the purpose of everyday use or decoration. The term "minhwa" was coined by Yanagi Muneyoshi.
WMyojakdo is a Korean painting depicting two cats and sparrows on an old tree, drawn by Byeon Sang-byeok during the late 17th century, in the period of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). It is regarded as a representative animal painting (yeongmohwa) and is painted on silk with light coloring over the ink and wash painting (sumukhwa). The Myojakdo is 93.7 cm in height and 42.9 cm in width. It forms part of the collection of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, South Korea.
WThe Naewat-dang shamanic paintings are ten portraits of village patron gods formerly hung at the Naewat-dang shrine, one of the four state-recognized shamanic temples of Jeju Island, now in South Korea. The shrine was destroyed in the nineteenth century, and the works are currently preserved at Jeju National University as a government-designated Important Folklore Cultural Property. They may be the oldest Korean shamanic paintings currently known.
WPavilion by the Lake is a painting during Korean peninsula’s Joseon dynasty period. Created in the late 18th century AD, this painting measures 45.4 cm in height and 27.6 cm in width. This painting is created by an unknown artist whose style name is Samoje. The artist, probably a professional painter from the jungin class of Joseon dynasty cannot be ascertained due to lack of documentation. So it is difficult to confirm the identity and the given name of the artist. The composition of the "Pavilion by the Lake" were likely adapted from popular painting manuals of Ming dynasty (1368–1644) imported from China. One of the most prominent examples for those painting manuals was the Mustard Seed Garden manual of painting.
WT'aenghwa is a characteristic type of Korean Buddhist visual art. A genre of Buddhist art, the paintings of icons can be on hanging scrolls, or framed pictures, or wall-paintings. T'aenghwa may be small, private and made for indoor display, or large and made for outdoor display. The craft is considered an extension of an earlier tradition of mural painting. There are no manuals that describe t'aenghwa painting, instead, the tradition preserves its models through paper stencils. Though most of the Koryo era t'aenghwa are held in Japanese collections, museums in Berlin, Boston, and Cologne carry some as well.
WThe Three Friends of Winter is an art motif that comprises the pine, bamboo, and plum. The Chinese celebrated the pine, bamboo and plum together, as they observed that these plants do not wither as the cold days deepen into the winter season unlike many other plants. Known by the Chinese as the Three Friends of Winter, they later entered the conventions of East Asian culture. Together they symbolize steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience. They are highly regarded in Confucianism and as such represent the scholar-gentleman's ideal.