CultureIntercalary fifth month, 1751(Lunar)
Jeong Seon’s Inwang jesaekdo
Jeong Seon painted Mount Inwang as the mist lifts after rain — a masterpiece of “true-view” landscape painting drawn from Korea’s own scenery.
Jeong Seon · Public domain · Source
The inscription says Jeong Seon, aged seventy-six, painted it in the last days of the intercalary fifth month of 1751. Rocks swept in dark ink, pine woods and drifting mist are rendered boldly. It is a National Treasure.
Jeong Seon broke away from imaginary landscapes copied from Chinese models to paint scenery he had seen, such as the Diamond Mountains and the hills around Hanyang; Geumgang jeondo (1734) is another masterpiece. Later in the century Gang Se-hwang used Western perspective and shading in his view of Yeongtong valley.
