Geumgang jeondo (Complete View of Geumgangsan Mountain) 12 Album Folding Screen

This is a twelve-panel folding screen in ink and light colour on paper, made both as a pictorial map of Geumgangsan Mountain, with its topography rendered in fine detail and vivid colour, and as a work of decorative painting. Most surviving versions of the Geumgang jeondo (Complete View of Geumgangsan Mountain) date from the mid-Joseon period onward and are generally grouped into three types: the orthodox painting style, the folk-painting style, and the woodblock-print style. This particular work draws heavily on the folk-painting style while also showing the profound charm of blue-and-green landscape painting, a technique using mineral blue and green pigments. According to the Donggukseshigi, a record of Korea's seasonal customs, it was the custom at Dano, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, to paint the twelve thousand peaks of Geumgangsan on fans; just as New Year paintings were popular at the start of the year, so paintings of Geumgangsan were popular for Dano. It is also thought that paintings of Geumgangsan became still more popular as folk art because of the belief that one had to visit Geumgangsan at least once before dying, or else be sent to hell. As folk art, paintings of Geumgangsan are understood to be closely tied to Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and shamanism alike, since the mountain was revered as a sacred peak (yeongsan) of both national and religious significance. Given the primitive belief that every object holds a spirit, mountain worship, and legends that Buddhas of past lives once dwelt on the mountain, Geumgangsan was regarded as a place steeped in mystery, and this screen accordingly renders its scenery in an abstract, fantastical manner. While this painting faithfully follows the orthodox style, it also carries place names written directly onto the image, as in a folk-painting map. The whole composition is divided into upper, middle and lower registers: the upper register centres on the peaks, the middle on the temples, and the lower on the sea, depicting Haegeumgang, the coastal area of Geumgangsan. Taking the temple at the centre as its starting point, peaks are arranged above it and, below, stylised waves add to the atmosphere of Geumgangsan. The upper part of the painting accordingly shows rocky peaks such as Birobong, Ilchulbong and Hyeolmangbong, the middle part shows waterfalls, valleys and soil-covered hills centred on the major temples and hermitages, and below these, stylised waves in a rake-like pattern are depicted. The centre of the screen is fixed on Yujeomsa Temple, on the eighth panel, whose surrounding buildings, pagodas and bell pavilion are rendered in very fine detail, with the twelve thousand peaks of Geumgangsan arrayed to either side as if unfurled. The second panel shows Birobong, Guryongyeon, Biroam Hermitage and Singyesa Temple; the third shows Namam Hermitage and the Baryeonpok Falls; the fourth shows Gujeongbong and Ilchulbong; the sixth shows Geumsudae, Eunseonam Hermitage, Buljeongam Hermitage and Seongbulam Hermitage; and the eighth and ninth show Naganbong, Seunghyubong, Yujeomsa Temple, Mangyeongdae, Jingyeonseong, Yangjingul Cave, Dangongam Hermitage, Saseonjeong Pavilion and Samilpo Lake, among others.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seo-gu, Busan

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산