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| From the Mongols to the Modern: The Art of Later China and Korea |
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| China :: Korea | ||||
| KOREA Toward the end of the Koryo dynasty, which lasted from 918 until 1392, the Ming emperors of China attempted to take control of northeastern Korea. They were repelled by General Yi Song-gye, who founded the last Korean dynasty, the Choson, with its capital at Seoul. The long rule of the Choson kings ended only in 1910, when Japan annexed Korea. Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) The gateway to Seoul: The last of the native Korean dynasties was the Choson (1392-1910). The long reign of Buddhism as Korea's dominant religion ended. Neo-Confucianism turned greater attention to public and worldly concerns. The ancient ideals of nature worship reemerged (mingled with Chinese Daoism) and influenced artistic themes. The Japanese invasion (1592-1598) transferred many Korean potters to Kyushu, where they were instrumental in inaugurating the Japanese porcelain industry. The impressive south gate, or Nandaemun, was built for the new capital of Seoul. It combines imposing stone foundations with an intricately bracketed wooden superstructure. In eastern Asia, elaborate gateways were symbols of the ruler's authority or of the hallowed nature of what stood on the other side. 26-18: Nandaemun, Seoul, Korea, Choson dynasty, first built in 1398. The Diamond mountains: In the eighteenth century, Korean scholar-amateur painters closely studied Chinese literati styles and produced their own fusions, as seen in the Kumgang (Diamond) Mountains by CHONG SON (1676-1759). The artist transformed an actual scene into an imaginative landscape with a sense of rhythmic vitality using sharper, darker versions of the fibrous brush strokes favored by Chinese literati. 26-19: CHONG SON, Kumgang Mountains, Choson dynasty, 1734. Hanging scroll, ink and colors on paper, 4' 3 1/2" x 1' 11 1/4". Hoam Art Museum, Kyunggi-Do. Modern Korea (1910 - Present) After its annexation by Japan in 1910, Korea remained part of Japan until the end of World War II in 1945. South Korea emerged as a fully industrialized nation and its artists have had a wide exposure to art styles from around the globe. Oriental ink movement: 26-20: SONG SU-NAM, Summer Trees, 1983. Ink on paper, 2' 1 5/8" high. British Museum, London. |
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| China :: Korea | ||||