Geumgangjeondo
Encyclopedia
Geumgang 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
.
While many contemporaneous painters imitated the latest art trends from China, Jeong Seon ignored these to create unique themes based on Korean landscapes. His catalogue of paintings of Geumgansan made him famous and the preeminent painter of his time at the age of 37. He eventually painted around 100 images of the mountains which still exist to this day. The artist’s love of the mountains influenced other artists to depict the Diamond Mountains and even encouraged mapmakers to make maps of the area.
Although Jeong Seon made many paintings of Mt. Geumgangsan, this painting is the largest and considered his best. Like many of his paintings, Jeong Seon painted this landscape while actually viewing the mountains. The painting is 130.7 centimeters in height and 94.1 centimeters in width. It is painted with India ink. The painting is of Naegeumgang, the Inner Mt. Geumgangsan. The painting depicts a total of twelve thousand peaks. The highest peak, Birobong, lies in the background and water flows from it toward a valley called Manpokdong which is divided from the left and right. The high sharp peaks are depicted by the artist with lines painted up and down while the artist used a dotting brush method to depict the earthen peaks, making them appear relatively soft and lush. This composition harmonizes the contrasting sharp edges of the rocky peaks with the softer earthen peaks.
The painter included the title of the painting, some comments, and his pen name, Gyeomjae, in the upper right hand corner. The inscription also dates the painting to 1734 when Jeong Seon was 59 years old. The artist’s comments reads:
Yeongjo of Joseon
Yeongjo was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong by Lady Suk-bin of the Choi clan , succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.-Reign:...
. The title literally means "General view of Mt. Geumgangsan
Kumgangsan
Kŭmgangsan , Geumgangsan, or Mount Geumgang is a -high mountain in Kangwon-do, North Korea. Its name means "a firm heart in the face of truth". It is about 50 km away from South Korea's Sokcho in Gangwon-do. It is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea...
" or The Diamond Mountains). It was classified as the 217th National Treasure of South Korea
National treasures of South Korea
The National Treasures of Korea are a numbered set of tangible treasures, artifacts, sites, and buildings which are recognized by South Korea as having exceptional artistic, cultural and historical value...
on August 6, 1984. The painting is currently held and managed by the Ho-Am Art Museum
Ho-Am Art Museum
The Ho-Am Art Museum is an art museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, approximately 40 km south of Seoul.It holds a number of traditional Korean paintings....
in Yongin
Yongin
Yongin is a major city in the Seoul National Capital Area, located in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population of nearly 1 million, the city has developed abrutly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the country. Yongin is home to Everland and...
, Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
and is owned by Lee Kun-hee
Lee Kun-hee
Lee Kun-hee is Chairman of Samsung Electronics. He resigned on April 21, 2008 owing to Samsung Slush funds scandal, but returned on March 24, 2010. Lee has a degree in economics from Waseda University in Tokyo and attended an MBA course at George Washington University in the United States in 1966...
.
While many contemporaneous painters imitated the latest art trends from China, Jeong Seon ignored these to create unique themes based on Korean landscapes. His catalogue of paintings of Geumgansan made him famous and the preeminent painter of his time at the age of 37. He eventually painted around 100 images of the mountains which still exist to this day. The artist’s love of the mountains influenced other artists to depict the Diamond Mountains and even encouraged mapmakers to make maps of the area.
Although Jeong Seon made many paintings of Mt. Geumgangsan, this painting is the largest and considered his best. Like many of his paintings, Jeong Seon painted this landscape while actually viewing the mountains. The painting is 130.7 centimeters in height and 94.1 centimeters in width. It is painted with India ink. The painting is of Naegeumgang, the Inner Mt. Geumgangsan. The painting depicts a total of twelve thousand peaks. The highest peak, Birobong, lies in the background and water flows from it toward a valley called Manpokdong which is divided from the left and right. The high sharp peaks are depicted by the artist with lines painted up and down while the artist used a dotting brush method to depict the earthen peaks, making them appear relatively soft and lush. This composition harmonizes the contrasting sharp edges of the rocky peaks with the softer earthen peaks.
The painter included the title of the painting, some comments, and his pen name, Gyeomjae, in the upper right hand corner. The inscription also dates the painting to 1734 when Jeong Seon was 59 years old. The artist’s comments reads:
Even if you visit the mountain yourself and tread on its every nook and cranny, how can your joy be compared with what you feel upon viewing this picture from your bedside?
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean artKorean artKorean art is art originating or practiced in Korea or by Korean artists, from ancient times to today. Korea is noted for its artistic traditions in pottery, music, calligraphy, and other genres, often marked by the use of bold color, natural forms, and surface decoration.-Introduction:The earliest...
- National treasures of Korea
- National treasures of North KoreaNational treasures of North KoreaDesignated national treasures of North Korea are tangible artifacts, sites, and buildings deemed to have significant historical or artistic value.-No. 1-50:-No. 51-100:-No. 101-150:-No...
- InwangjesaekdoInwangjesaekdoInwangjesaekdo is a landscape painting by the famous Jeong Seon who painted it during the reign of Joseon Dynasty King Yeongjo in 1751. It is the 216th National Treasure of Korea and was designated by the South Korean government on August 6, 1984...
- Jeong Seon