Korean Paintings

A hyper realistic portrait of an official with watercolor on silk bordered panel, framed in dark wood, from Korean late Joseon dynasty, circa 19th century. The beard man sitting with a formal frontal view, displays a benevolent facial expression, in keeping with the Confucius value of the officialdom at the time. He dons a black linen official hat and a blue silk robe...

A Korean Folk Art painting mounted as a hanging scroll. The watercolor on paper was likely dated from 1930s-1940s. The work depicts a "Jakhodo" theme (...

Grapevine Anonymous. Korean, 17th century. Wall panel, ink on paper. Upper seal: Kou Kinun in Lower seal: Kaigen Dimensions: Measures: 98.5 cm x 29.5 cm (39” ...

Anonymous. Korean, 17th century. Joseon period. Hanging scroll. Ink on paper. Seal: Shinso Dimensions: Scroll: H. 200 cm x W. 31 cm (79” x 12”) Image: H. 122 cm x W. 29.5 cm (48” x 11.5”) The grapevine came to China and then Korea from western Asia via the silk road trade routes. By the mid-Joseon period, it was one of the most popular subjects for Korean literati painters. Grapevines were painted as a singular subject or, less commonly, in combination with squirrels, which are associated with children due to their playful nature. Together, grapevines and squirrels embody wishes for abundant offspring and wealth. For the Korean literati artist the twisting vines, curling tendrils and round, plump grapes provided ample opportunity for expressive "brush play”. In this painting the artist has abstracted the scene and is seemingly unconcerned with discontinuities and proportion. Vines spring up from nowhere, grapes hang in random clusters and the squirrel’s head appears as if twisted backwards. For the vines and leaves we can feel a sense of speed in the brushstrokes, imparting a dynamic feel which is at once intense and animated. This contrasts dramatically with the countless tiny strokes of ink which realistically capture the texture of the squirrel’s fur...

Wall decor handcrafted mother of pearl rose painting on wood panel by Arijian.

Handcrafted mother-of-pearl painting with Chrysanthemum design.

Wall Decor Handcrafted Mother of Pearl Chrysanthemum Painting on Wood Panel by Arijian.

Ink pen on paper drawing by Kim Jung Gi, 1975 to 2022, a South Korean cartoonist and manhwa artist known for his highly detailed illustrations, often drawn...

1979 Cui Tang Korean painting on silk showing brightly colored male and female pheasants in front of a bush of pink and white peonies. This art was made in 1979...

A fine Korean Buddhist T’aenghwa scroll painting, similar to the Tibetan Thangka paintings. The Korean name taenghwa is very similar to the Tibetan word thangka and the period of pop...

Myung "Mario" Jung (South Korean, b. 1949), signed "Mario" at lower left, This painting depicts a highly detailed, realistic image of a white rose in full bloom. The petals are soft ...

Wall Decor handcrafted mother of pearl Chrysanthemum painting on wood panel by Arijian.

A Korean folk Shamanism watercolor on textile matted with woven brocade and presented in a wood frame with an oriental style metal hanging hardware. The painting was estimated to be from early 20th century circa 1910-1930s. It depicts Guan Yu (160-220AD), a legendary Chinese warrior and general from Eastern Han Dynasty. Long worshiped in China as a deity, across all three major religions, Guan Gong...

Gorgeous Etching, with aquatint and color matrix by the South Korean artist Deok Sung Kang, made around 1990. The works of this artist, although they tend towards abstraction, are really inspired by nature. They illustrate a very personal vision of everyday objects and phenomena. The creative brilliance of this artist is widely recognized. In this case, the work is divided into two areas, the first of which is dominated by a red color, which represents a pair of red roses using a rather realistic technique. However, in contrast, a larger area of ​​intense blue inspired by natural motifs and splashed with a red spot. About the artist Deok Sung Kang is a painter and printmaker of South Korean origin. He studied Fine Arts in his native country, although he later attended the École de Beaux Arts in Paris and, later, in 1989, he settled in Madrid, where he continued his studies at the Complutense University of Madrid. The highlight of his facet as a painter are his prints, often using rice paper as a support. Most of his works have been exhibited at fairs and exhibitions in Spain, but he has also done some in his country, such as at the Art Museum in Seoul. About the technique The origin of prints in Asian art has its foundations in the knowledge of printing texts on woodblocks, around the 8th century. Over time, it evolved and this new art became accessible to the majority of the public, opening the doors to the enjoyment of art and collecting, which until then was limited only to merchants, rich warriors... Gprgeous Etching is a type of engraving, which is made using a metal plate (iron, zinc or copper) as a base, which is covered with a light layer of a protective varnish or acid-resistant wax. The engraver draws with a stylus on the layer of varnish, reaching just up to the metal plate. Later, the plate is dipped in etching, hence its name, a solution based on water and nitric acid, which corrodes the copper in the areas where it was not protected by the varnish. The immersion time is what determines the depth of the line. Metal plates engraved with this technique can be printed with the desired ink colour, prepared by combining various pigments and binders. Beautiful work of art by the contemporary Korean artist Duck Sung Kang...

Landscape Painting with Mother-of-Pearl inlay by Arijian.