''Myojakdo'' (literally, "Painting of Cats and Sparrows") is a

Korean painting Korean painting includes paintings made in Korea or by overseas Koreans on all surfaces. The earliest surviving Korean paintings are murals in the Goguryeo tombs, of which considerable numbers survive, the oldest from some 2,000 years ago (mostly ...

depicting two cats and sparrows on an old tree, drawn by

Byeon Sang-byeok Byeon Sangbyeok was an 18th century Korean painter of the Miryang Byeon clan during the late period of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). Byeon is famous for his precise depictions of animals and people in detailed brushwork. Biograph ...

during the late 17th century, in the period of the

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and ...

(1392–1910). It is regarded as a representative

animal painting An animal painter is an artist who specialises in (or is known for their skill in) the portrayal of animals. The ''OED'' dates the first express use of the term "animal painter" to the mid-18th century: by English physician, naturalist and wri ...

(''yeongmohwa'') and is painted on silk with light coloring over the

ink and wash painting Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà; ja, 水墨画, translit=suiboku-ga or ja, 墨絵, translit=sumi-e; ko, 수묵화, translit=sumukhwa) is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses black ink, such as tha ...

(''sumukhwa''). The Myojakdo is 93.7 cm in height and 42.9 cm in width. It forms part of the collection of the

National Museum of Korea The National Museum of Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea and is the cultural organization that represents Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

Description

Byeon Sang-byeok is renowned for his skillful depictions of cats and chickens, so he was referred to as the nicknames, "Byeon goyangi" (literally Byeon cat),Yu, Hong-jun
''An Approach through the theory on Art to theory on Painting of Scholars of the Korean Practical Science''
Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2004, p.126 and "Byeon dak" (Byeon rooster) during his lifetime. The ''myojakdo'' backs up the record in which Byeon favored cats and devoted to cat paintings. Cats and sparrows were often subjects for Korean paintings drawn to celebrate the joy of longevity because of their similar pronunciations with other words that have auspicious meanings. The pronunciation of ''myo'' (; cat) and ''jak'' (, sparrow) in

hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, ...

word, or Sino-Korean words are respectively linked with ''mo'' (; old person) which refers to 80 or 90 years old, and ''jak'' () which indicates

magpie Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is on ...

having been regarded as an auspicious bird in

Korean society The traditional culture of Korea is the shared cultural and historical heritage of Korea and southern Manchuria before the division of Korea in 1945. Manchuria refers to the ancient geographical and historical region in Northeast Asia, includ ...

. In this painting, cats and sparrows are depicted realistically in a simple and dynamic composition. The depiction of a group of chirping sparrows on twigs are illustrated precisely with very detailed brushstrokes. Byeon's mastered drawing techniques are also noted with the lively facial expressions and moves of the two cats. One cat clinging to the side of an old tree exchanges glances with the other on the ground in the diagonal composition as if they communicated with each other. On the other hand, the body of the old tree is drawn with rather wild brushstrokes, which represents the meager texture and the distorted shape having formed for a long time. The stark contrast between the way the animals and trees are applied gives a strong feeling of movement to the picture.

References

{{reflist Korean painting Joseon dynasty Collection of the National Museum of Korea Birds in art Cats in art

Description

See also

References