The elegance of nature

Landscapes and animals
.

in Sim SaJeong paintings.

A name, a pen name, two dates. That’s all we know about Sim SaJeong (심사정, 1707-1769) or Hyōnjae – the pen name which he uses in most of his works – one of the most important painters of Joseon Korea (1392 - 1910).

Two main artistic styles influence Korean paintings of this period: traditional style of Chinese inspiration and another one of “national” inspiration which represents everyday life scenes and Korean folk customs. This national painting style was born under the influence of silhak (실학) “practical, actual studies” which is a school of Confucian thought born in the late XVII century in Joseon period which causes important social and cultural reforms in Korea. Painting which originates from silhak takes its inspiration from direct observation of farmers and craftsmen life scenes. From this style minhwa (민화) “popular painting” originates in XVII century and it develops in particular after 1910 when Japanese occupation of Korea makes reawaken Korean national pride for own traditions.

Sim SaJeong is a very original painter: he is scholar of landscape painting master JeongSeon and even if his style inserts itself into classic painting of Chinese influence he is a deep originator in his works and he creates a vivacious and original way of painting which makes his paintings unmistakably “Korean”.

Chinese painting masters excelled in various figurative fields like landscape painting shanshui (山水) “mountain-water” called in Korea sansuhwa (산수화), animal-and-bird painting called in Korea yeongmohwa (영모화), still life and flowers know as jeongmulhwa (정물화) in Korean art, portrait called in Korea inmuhwa (인물화) and calligraphy. Some painters specialized in peculiar subjects like bamboo painting which is a part of flowers and animals painting. Sim SaJeong instead is a landscape and animals’ portrait painter at same time. His Tiger (맹호도) held at National Museum of Korea in Seoul is very famous and it is one of the emblems of Korean pictorial tradition: it is a kakemono also called kakejiku – (掛物 "hanging" or 掛軸, "hung scroll") – which represents a tiger pointing the prey.

Tiger is a frequent subject in Far Eastern paintings and it is a Buddhist symbol of strength often together with bamboo which is the symbol of wisdom and of firmness. Nevertheless Sim SaJeong’s Tiger has got large and wide open eyes and bent back which make it resemble a big curious cat rather than a fierce feline. Viewer who stands in front of the scroll painting sees the tiger staring at himself but the resulting effect is not of fear but nearly comical or better ironical. Sim SaJeong has fun in portraying the subject and in thinking about spectator’s reaction. This is a new, more modern and finely debunking artistic concept which takes its origin from tradition and gives life to a different and innovative style. In the Tiger there is the influence of rising popular painting minhwa; in some of these paintings there is the subject of tiger coming out from forest while a cawing magpie – bird of good omen – is looking at it. The contrast between the tiger’s size and power and the magpie’s smallness and rapidity originates a considerable comical effect.

Sim SaJeong is a prominent painter of landscapes as well. In his landscape paintings the popular and comical mood of his animals’ portraits disappears and the Korean master’s style becomes that of muninhwa (문인화) originated from Chinese literati painting i.e. a refined painting made by artists who paint and write poems at same time.

Chinese painting of Sung period (960-1279) is divided into two schools: the Northern School and the Southern School or literati painting. Northern School painters depict inaccessible and harsh landscapes and high and steep mountains and impetuous waterways which flow through the rocks. Southern School develops under the influence of Chan Buddhism – Zen in Japan – and painters of this school depict more open landscapes and less high mountains and quiet lakes and rivers which emerge from fog. Sim SaJeong paintings’ style is unique and it fuses together artistic subjects of Northern and Southern Schools: in his landscape paintings mountains are high and inaccessible though vegetation is lush and trees are drawn with knowledge and passion for the spectacle of plants. In his landscapes solitary literati are in perched on mountains pavilions and they symbolize the salvation from fleeting material assets by taking refuge in nature. The nature which is portrayed by Sim SaJeong’s paintbrush with enchanted realism.

In the full union of observation with imagination there is the artistic value of Sim SaJeong. He is a nature painting’s poet and his paintbrush’s stroke – after about two hundred years from the artist’s death – still transmits the mysterious message which originates from landscape, from plants, from animals.

Floriano Terrano