Feast of paradise
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“Being in Nature is Better Than Holding Official Rank” painted by Joseon-period painter Kim Hong-do in 1810 is displayed for “Landscapes: Seeking the Ideal Land” exhibit at the National Museum of Korea through Sept. 28. / Courtesy of National Museum of Korea
National museum displays East Asian landscape paintings reflecting ideal world
By Baek Byung-yeul
People throughout history have dreamt of living in paradise.
Though this goal may differ from modern people’s perception of paradise, ancient East Asians have also wondered about their ideal place and breaking free of their weary, mundane everyday lives. To express these dreams, some left literary works or paintings behind.
The National Museum of Korea (NMK) is providing a rare opportunity to glimpse paintings of people’s ideal sanctuary from the days of ancient China, Japan and Korea. With help from several domestic and overseas museums, the large-scale exhibition, titled “Landscapes: Seeking the Ideal Land,” features 109 renowned landscape paintings from the three Asian neighbors giving visitors a chance to see ancient Asians’ ideas of utopia.
Asian landscape painting is different from that of the West. It is more conceptual, seen through the mind's eye and reflecting the values of that particular era.
For literary artists of the East, nature was not something to be conquered, but a perfect space of peace and affluence instead. “To them, natural scenery held a central place when thinking about paradise because they believed that landscape could help them cultivate their virtue and allow them to feel more peaceful and calm,” said NMK curator Kwon Hye-eun.
Kwon added that comparing paintings from the three countries and noticing the similarities and differences is a great way to enjoy the exhibition.
“As both Korea and Japan have been deeply influenced by Chinese culture, those three countries have similar perceptions about what an ideal world would look like through paintings.”
Among the Korean paintings, “Samgongbulhwando” (“Being in Nature Is Better than Holding Official Rank”) by Kim Hong-do (1745-?), arguably the most famous painter of the Joseon Kingdom period (1392-1910), is a good example of East Asians’ perception of an ideal world.
The painting includes a stately house surrounded by majestic mountains and how the home inspires awe and amazement. It reflects the noblemen’s desire to lead life in an ideal, rustic place as the title suggests.
A 18th century painting, “Mountains and Rivers without End,” by Joseon-era painter Yi In-mun (1745-1824) is also on the must-see list. The royal court painter shows the desirable Confucian world, in which the king rules over the state by his high virtue while his people live their lives in a humble and respectful manner.
The exhibition also displays an extensive collection of 42 landscape paintings from China and Japan.
Among them, a medieval Chinese painting, “Ode on Returning Home,” by an unidentified artist from the 14th or 15th century, is one highlight. On loan from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 106 centimeter-in-width and 26 centimeter-in-height landscape painting gives a visual depiction of ancient Chinese poet Tao Yuanming (365-427), returning home after stepping down from a local government post.
Japanese master painter and calligrapher Tomioka Tessai’s 1904 folding screen painting, “Peach Blossom Spring of Wuling,” from the collection of Japan’s Kyoto National Museum, shows an tranquil, dream world of ancient East Asia.
The exhibition runs through Sept. 28. The NMK is located near exit 4 of Ichon Station, subway line 4 and the Jungang Line. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit
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