Ancient Chinese paintings come to life in Korea

By Lee Hyo-won

Sweeping ink strokes depicting everything from delicate flower petals to cascading mountains on silk scrolls — the iconicism of classical Chinese paintings is largely recognizable. It has considerably influenced the development of the craft in Korea, and 16th-century Ming Dynasty artist Xu Jiuxu (Hu Gu-seo in Korean) was even believed to be Korean until research proved otherwise.

Surprisingly, few exhibitions featuring ancient Chinese paintings have been held in the country, and so the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul, is providing a rare chance to discover the spirit of Ming and Qing Dynasty-era works dating from the 15th to 19th centuries.

This is the first time that a Chinese painting exhibition is featuring works from local collections. Some 100 pieces from the National Museum’s own collection, as well as nine on loan from other institutes, are on display. Of these, 87 pieces are open to the public for the first time.

The origin of Chinese painting dates back to the Neolithic Age, from when simple plant and animal designs were discovered on the surface of earthenware. By the Warring States Period some 2,500 years ago, the Chinese had already developed sophisticated methods using ink and silk. The craft peaked during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and further flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties as the literati culture expanded. Two traditional styles of paintings developed: the literati and professional.

Visitors will be able to see the 1552 landscape by Xu, now properly labeled as a Chinese work. The scroll shows tiny houses and human figures hidden amid the mountainous landscape — reflecting the Eastern way of thinking, of man’s humble existence and oneness with nature.

Others depict local life in detail, as a means of chronicling royal ceremonies or festivals, and serve as important historical documents. “Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival,” by an anonymous Qing Dynasty painter, spans over 7 meters long and shows kites being flown from ferry boats, groups engaged in horseback games, women dancing and people conversing over a table full of food and drinks.

Not to be missed are the portraits and still life paintings. The 19th-century “Lady” by Yu Ji features a lovely maiden reading a book beneath a tree, resting her chin on one hand as she sits upon a rock. Her pale skin and delicate features suggest the ideals of beauty of the times, and the folds of her dress are depicted realistically, almost with the chiaroscuro touch found in Renaissance paintings.

Pairs of ducks, which symbolize conjugal love, and flowers of all kinds are also found in many of the Qing-era paintings on display.

Additionally, visitors can admire a beautiful media art piece by Lee Lee-nam, which revamps centuries-old Chinese paintings with a 21st-century edge. Several paintings from the exhibition are brought to life, as human figures make their way across roads, boats travel along rivers and autumn foliage shaking in the wind transform into snow-topped trees.

The National Museum owns a relatively smaller collection of Ming and Qing paintings compared to those in museums across China, Japan, America and Europe, said the museum’s director Choe Kwang-shik, but the exhibition features works by key painters and major schools of art that capture the trends and spirit of the period.

“The museum systematically collected artworks to illustrate various trends of Chinese art and the collection has grown in size and quality.”