INTRODUCTION

The Korean painting tradition is about more than pretty images. Through the diverse forms of Korean painting, we can experience the world of Koreans of ages past, both as it was and as they wished it to be. It is a magical trip into the culture and world view that continue to impact the way Koreans think and believe to this day.

Over centuries, Korean artists have produced a body of work that, while sharing commonalities with the paintings of neighboring countries, is still distinctly Korean. In their work, Korean artists expressed a uniquely Korean view of the world, even while absorbing influences from abroad. Genre paintings of the Joseon era documented—and sometimes lampooned—the daily practices and customs of Koreans of the period, while landscapes depicted legendary Korean scenic spots, complete with indigenous plants and animals. Folk paintings, meanwhile, encapsulated the unique worldview of old Korea’s common people.

Korean painting also reveals a connectivity with nature that parallels the Korean traditional world view. Living in a dramatic landscape of rugged peaks, deep valleys and broad rivers, Koreans have long held nature in deep reverence. This respect, this yearning for nature is immediately apparent in Korean paintings, whose aesthetic is likened to an “artless art” of gentle lines, generous shapes and naturalistic colors. Beauty is found in the big picture rather than the details; paintings exhibit a naturalness that moves the viewer with its humility.

Like the painting traditions of the West, Korean traditional painting takes many forms and genres. Korean landscape paintings—known as sansuhwa (“Painting of Mountains and Water”)—are perhaps the best known, and feature idealized landscapes and, later, Korean scenic spots. While formalized, the manner in which artists expressed these landscapes revealed much about the artists themselves. Genre paintings, meanwhile, take a frank look at daily life of both nobles and commoners in Joseon-era Korea. Folk paintings reflect the commonly held beliefs and hopes of Joseon’s commoners, while Buddhist paintings offer insight into the history, theology and metaphysics of Korean Buddhism.

It should also be noted that while professional artists did exist, many works were painted not by artists, but by ordinary nobles and even commoners. For the people of old Korea, painting was often a part of life, a way to express their inner spirit. Perhaps it is this that makes Korean painting so approachable, so human.

This work explores a variety of aspects of Korean painting in its many wondrous forms, including Goryeo-era Buddhist paintings, Joseon-era landscapes and genre paintings, and folk paintings. We hope that through this work, the reader will be able to develop a better understanding and appreciation for the beauty, symbolism and significance of Korea’s painting tradition. We also hope that it serves as a starting point for exploration of the world of Korean painting and, with this in mind, we’ve included a list of museums both in Korea and abroad where you can experience first hand the art’s sublime charms.