This exhibition, the first showing of traditional Korean painting in the Gallery, will comprise Korean screens, hanging scrolls and album leaves dating from the 17th to 19th centuries. The paintings in this collection represent popular decorative traditions used in Korean homes, rather than the Chinese literati style favoured by officials in the Confucianism-dominated society. Themes covered will include calligraphy, landscape, bird-and-flower, mythical animals and portraits. A popular subject represented with some fine examples is the so-called book screen (Chaek’kori), a genre adopted with relish by Koreans, artist and patron alike.  |
