Dosanseowondo (Dosanseowon Confucian Academy) by Kang Se-hwang

Dosanseowondo, painted by Kang Se-hwang, is a true-view painting of Dosanseowon Confucian Academy by the late Joseon literati painter Kang Se-hwang (1712–1791); it measures 138.5 cm wide and 57.7 cm high. It depicts the scene as if viewed from above looking down, with Dosanseowon placed at the centre and, in the foreground, the flowing river together with Takyeongdam Pool and Bantaseok Rock. On the left, above the meandering stream, are Buncheonseowon Confucian Academy, Aeildang Hall and Bungangchon Village, alongside an inscription written by the painter himself. This inscription records in some detail that Yi Ik, known by his pen name Seongho, while lying ill, had specially asked him to paint Dosanseowon, together with his own impressions and the date of production. At the end of this inscription is also a piece of writing by Choi Nam-seon, added in the autumn of 1927. The layout of the academy and the size and orientation of its buildings are depicted accurately in accordance with reality, and the names of the buildings are noted as well. Painted in 1751, the 27th year of King Yeongjo, the work renders mountains and valleys with a delicacy resembling unravelled hemp fibres laid out, while the trees are rendered with dabs of a laid-flat brush, giving a sense of the early brushwork of the Southern School style of painting that was fashionable at the time.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물