Abstract

This article introduces the painting Muheulgugokdo(武屹九曲圖, Painting of nine bends of Muheul valley) which describes Yusangji (place for entertainment and quiet enjoyment) of Jeong Gu(1543-1620), a 16th Century Confucian scholar and examines real scenes and style of the painting, and its significance as a real view landscape painting. Muheulgugokdo is a painting drawn by painter Kim Sang-jin(金尙眞) in 1784 which describes the Daega(大伽) Creek area in Gaya(伽倻) Mt. belonging to Seongju-Gun and Gimcheon City in Gyeongsangbuk-do. The painting was made by the proposal of Jeong Gu’s students in celebration of the renovation of Muheul Jeongsa (武屹精舍, building for teaching and learning) which Jeong Gu retired to in later life and in honor of his learning and virtue. Muheulgugokdo is an example showing the transformation in Korea of Muigugokdo which was introduced in Korea in 16th Century. It is a Gugokdo in the style of real view landscape painting and is a very rare case. Painter Kim Sang-jin, while practicing Jeong Sun(鄭敾)’s painting style, excelled in his unique Balmukbeop (發墨法, free style of using ink stick and brush) and in real view landscape paintings describing real scenes after meticulous examination. Muheulgugokdo shows that Chung Sun’s style also had influence in the provinces and boasts of characteristics such as the composition and viewpoint efficiently demonstrating features of thematic scenery, the composition of picture through emphasis on thematic scenery and omission, and the powerful use of ink stick. Also, Muheulgugokdo is a Gugokdo and real view landscape painting of the 18th Century and, since real scenes shown in the painting are well preserved, comparison with real scenes has been stressed in its analysis. Through the above, emphasis have been placed on clarifying Muheulgugokdo’s significance in the history of painting.