Rocks

Rock paintings became enormously popular in Korea in the late eighteenth century, as rocks were seen, symbolically, as objects that transcend the fragile and inconstant nature of human beings. A rock image could be interpreted as a symbol of the ideal Confucian gentlemen scholar, facing difficulties but remaining resilient.

Heo Ryeon’s strong brushstrokes and unconventional composition in these two paintings animate the subject matter. Heo also wrote a poem on each scroll regarding the spirit of a true gentlemen in hardship. Following the poems, the artist dated the paintings as completed on the fifth day of the fifth month of 1864, and signed his pen name (Sochi). The year 1864 was when the artist returned to his hometown of Jindo and built his own studio, Unrimsanbang (Studio of Cloud Forest Mountain). The powerful, bold brushstrokes and vividly rendered rocks of this work suggest that it was painted during his mature period. H

eo was a poet and calligrapher as well as a painter and studied under Kim Jeonghui (1786–1856), one of the greatest artists and theorists in the history of Korea. Kim greatly praised Heo’s artistic skills, which were also appreciated by King Heon-jong (reigned 1834–1849), who commissioned him to produce court paintings. Although there are many surviving landscape and peony paintings by Heo, there are relatively few rock paintings.