- Nationality/Period
Joseon Dynasty
- Materials
Paper
- Author
Kim Hong-do(金弘道, 1745-after 1806)
- Category
Culture / Art - Letter & Paintings - Paintings - painting
- Dimensions
26.9x22.2cm(Image, Album)
- Designation
Treasure 527
- Accession Number
Bongwan 6504 - 22
Widely regarded as a masterpiece of Korean genre painting, “Korean Traditional Wrestling” painted by Kim Hong-do depicts a scene in which two contending wrestlers are encircled by spectators largely divided into two groups, one in the upper part and the other in the lower part of the painting. A toffee vender in the middle left stands outside the spectators’ gaze, yet plays a key role in the effectiveness of this circular composition, while the shoes in the middle right effectively link the two divided groups. In addition to the composition, the painting is highly praised for its brushstrokes, which are delightfully simple yet effective enough to capture the spectators’ expressions and the heated atmosphere of a torrid sporting event.