Painting has always been a major genre of Korean art since ancient times. The art of ancient Korea is represented by the tomb murals of Goguryeo (37 BCE– 668)
, which contain valuable clues to the beliefs of the early Korean people about humanity and the universe, as well as to their artistic sensibilities and techniques. Their art had been influenced by China and disseminated to Japan. The artists of Goryeo (918–1392) were interested in capturing Buddhist icons and bequeathed some great masterpieces, while the literati elite of Joseon was more attracted not only to idealized landscapes but also to the symbolism of plants and animals, such as the Four Noble Lords (Sagunja, namely, the orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, and plum tree) and the Ten Creatures of Longevity (Sipjangsaeng), including crane, tigers, and deer.
Korea in the 18th century saw the arrival of two great artists, Kim Hong-do and Sin Yun-bok, both of whom developed a passionate interest in depicting the daily activities of ordinary people in their work. Kim Hong-do preferred depicting the kaleidoscope of people in various situations and scenes of everyday life, whereas Sin Yun-bok, for his part, devoted his efforts to capturing erotic moments in works that were surprisingly voyeuristic for the period.
Calligraphy, which developed in Korea under the influence of China, is the art of handwriting in which the beauty of the lines and forms of characters and the energy contained in brush strokes and subtle shades of ink are appreciated. While calligraphy is an independent genre of art, it has been closely related to ink and wash painting because these forms use similar techniques and the tools commonly called the “Four Treasures of the Study” (i.e., paper, brush, ink stick, and inkstone). Korea has produced an abundance of master calligraphers, of whom Kim Jeong-hui (1786–1856) is particularly famous for developing his own style known as Chusache or Chusa Style (Chusa was his pen name). His calligraphic works are still widely admired for their remarkably modern artistic beauty.
This genre painting by Kim Hong-do, one of the greatest painters of the late Joseon period vividly captures a scene of traditional Korean wrestling where two competing wrestlers are surrounded by engrossed spectators.
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