Iinmun Pil Gangsanmujindo

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2029

Category

Painting

Era

19세기 초

Designated year

2019

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가, 국립중앙박물관)

Coordinates

37.523500, 126.980100Museum-based location

Rivers and Mountains without End (Gangsan Mujindo) is a large handscroll painting, 8.5 meters in lengh, created by Yi In-mun (1745-1821), a distinguished artist who served as a court painter of Joseon between the late 18th and early 19th century. Yi In-mun left a large collection of masterpieces in various genres of painting, including landscape, figure painting, and flower-and-bird painting created by combining diverse techniques representing different periods based on the experience he had for a period of 38 years serving as a senior royal artist (Chabi Daeryeong Hwawon) and three visits to the Qing imperial court, in 1795, 1796 and 1799, as a member of the Joseon envoy. This painting is a landscape painting depicting a panoramic view of nature based on the traditional subject, rivers and mountains without end, favored by many East Asian literati painters through many generations. The painting, focused on the natural landscape in its ideal, supreme form rather than a real landscape and human beings leading a harmonious life in the depth of nature. The first part of the painting shows a wide open field followed by an abrupt scene of soaring rocky peaks, a continuance of rugged mountains and bleak wasteland in the middle part and, finally, gentle hills and vast plains. The dramatic flow of scenes in the painting are often compared with those in The Cliff Road to Shu (Chokjando), a masterpiece by Sim Sa-jeong (1707-1769). Unlike the Sim’s work, however, Yi In-mun combined the sublime landscapes with the elements of the genre painting such as villages and village inhabitants, used more red and yellow green to create a more pleasant atmosphere, and defined mountains more clearly for dynamism. The characteristic elements such as the above are united with a long handscroll format and outstanding techniques of the master court painter to make this painting one of the greatest masterpieces representing the artistic achievement made in Joseon.

Location