PAINTING

The CHoson Period

It was during the Choson period that Korean painting came into full bloom and established a firm tradition. Talented painters from the Royal Academy of Painting (Tobwaso) and prominent literati-painters contributed greatly to the development of traditional styles. Painting became more diverse and Korean elements more prominent than in the preceding period, especially in terms of composition, treatment of space, brushwork, and the depiction of trees. Selectively absorbing the styles of Chinese masters from the Sung, Yuan, Ming and Qing periods, Korean painters were able to evolve their own styles. They also played an important part in the development of sumie (ink painting) inJapan.

It was during the reign of King Sejong (r. 1419 - 50) that the Korean tradition was firmly established, thanks to great masters like An Kyon, Kang Hui-an and Prince Anp'yong. These early Choson painters based their work on the Koryo painting tradition and at the same time absorbed and assimilated highly advanced Chinese traditions to develop their own styles. An Kyon was especially successful in developing an individual style based on the style of Guo Xi of Northern Sung China. An's style was characterized by an unbalanced yet harmonious composition, a concept of space that valued blankness, an efficient application of diagonal movement, and highly distinctive brushwork.

The painters of the 16th century showed a strong tendency toward conventionality and adhered to the style of the previous century, a fact which reaffirms the generally held belief that the roots of the Korean painting tradition were firmly implanted by the early Choson period. The Korean style of painting was able to maintain its unique character despite the four destructive foreign invasions that swept the country in the mid-Choson period (ca 1550-1700) mainly because the tradition was so firmly established in the earlier period. Throughout this politically turbulent era the early Choson tradition was handed down through the perpetuation of the An Kyon school, the emergence of the Zhe school, and the development of a number of distinctly Korean artistic idioms as seen in the depiction of birds and animals and ink paintings of flowers and birds, bamboo, plums, and grapes.

Another notable aspect of the paintings of this period is the introduction of Western methods from China Western techniques of shading and perspective were brought to Qing by Jesuit missionaries and were, in turn, introduced to Korea by members of the Korean mission to Yenjing. Eighteenth century painters, including Kim o Tu-ryang, Kang Se-hwang and Yi Hui-yong, were the first to employ these techniques. They also found their way into the paintings of royal ceremonies done by academy painters and folk paintings. In the final years of Choson (ca 1850-1910), the landscape and genre painting styles found in the preceding period declined, giving way to the Chinese Southern School style (Namcbongbwa) promoted by Kim Chong-hui and his adherents. In addition, a fresh and unusual style was initiated by a small number of markedly individualistic artists, including Kim Su-ch'ol, Kim Ch'ang-su and Hong Se-sop. Despite the pervasive influences of the late Qing styles, the painting of this period was marked by strong individuality and became the basis for modern Korean painting.

Social and political upheavals in the late 19th century caused a decline in painting, although literati painters were quite prolific with their ink brush renderings of orchids. Chang Sung-op is regarded as the most representative and last professional academy painter of the period.

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