Korean Art History Midterm Essay

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Professor JungHui Kim Korean Art History Korean Art History Midterm Exam You have three hours to finish. Upload your answer file (pdf or MS Word) on the Midterm Submission Box of Learnus by 6:30 . You are allowed to use only your reading materials and lecture notes . Searching the internet during the exam is NOT allowed. Please write down your name!!! 1. Write a short essay about the development of Goguryeo tomb structures and mural paintings. Include three or more specific names of Goguryeo Tombs. (30 points) The tombs from the Goguryeo period of 37 BCE to 668 CE can be dissected into three key phases all with different architectural and artistic styles. The 1st phase occurs from the start of the dynasty to the early 5th century. The general tomb structure is multi-chambered or two- chambered rather than single-chambered and the tombs of this period are mostly ordained with murals depicting portraits, genres, and military processions. The Anak Tomb No 3 of 357 is a key tomb of the first period and has a complex architectural configuration with an entrance, two auxiliary chambers, and a main chamber. The tomb is well known for its large-scale depiction of a procession on the gallery walls which depicts how life was during this period for the elite and upper class. The procession can also be seen as a motif for everyday life and customs during the early Goguryeo dynasty. In addition to the procession mural, the mural on the western side of the tomb features the deceased master wearing a traditional Goguryeo white silk crown called Baekna with a black inner headdress and a Zhuwei fan. The mural honors who the tomb was intended for while providing insight into the life of the master. The 2nd phase occurs from the early 5th century to the late 5th century and is primarily composed of two-chamber tombs. In addition to the portraits, genres, and processions on their murals, the murals possess a new subject matter that was not included in the previous phase–the four deities. The Muyongchong tomb of the mid-5th century from the Ji’an region possessed multiple murals that provide insight into the cultural pastimes of the people in this era. As the name of the tomb directly translates to the dancing tomb, this tomb is known for its depiction of Korean folk dance on the east wall. On this mural, there are 5 male and female dances dressed in traditional Goguryeo clothing which shows the differences in the wardrobe for both genders. Women were clothes in robes with loose pants whereas men wore tied jackets and loose pants. The west wall also shows insight into the lifestyle of Goguryeo civilians in the mid-5th century. The west wall, depicting hunters on horseback armed with bows and arrows chasing deer and tigers, reveals how hunting was a culturally significant activity and a part of daily life for the Goguryeo people. As the murals lack perspective and the figures on the mural have a disproportionate anatomy, it is clear that the artists of the period were not yet skilled at showing spatial representations and the human figure. These tombs also incorporate the four deities of the

north, west, south, and east animals. Overall, the 2nd phase of Goguryeo tombs shows a greater reflection of the daily life and customs of the Goguryeo people. Lastly, the 3rd phase of the tombs consists of late 6th-century tombs and is primarily one- chambered. The tombs of this phase differ from their predecessors due to their subject matter–the murals placed a larger emphasis on the depiction of the four Daoist deities rather than focusing on daily life and processions. For example, the Gangseo Daemyo of the late 6th century is a one- chambered tomb with the four spirits on each of walls. Each of the four deities directly represents their respective directions. The west wall depicts a white tiger which is a symbol of bravery and courage and the vigorous spirit of the Goguryeo people. The south wall depicts a red phoenix whereas the east depicts a blue dragon. The north depicts a black warrior which is a combination of a snake and tortoise. In addition to the religious and cultural significance of the subject matter, the murals of the Gangseo Daemyo reveal the evolution of artwork in the Goguryeo dynasty. Compared to the rigid and disproportionate representation of figures from the Muyongchong of the prior phase, the Gangseo Daemyo’s murals are rendered beautifully with swift-moving lines and movement in the figures. Compositionally, the tombs of the 3rd phase show more artistic sophistication compared to tombs of the prior phases. Conclusively, the three examined tombs from the three phases reveal the development of artistic expression during the era. In tandem with the gradual shift in subject matter, the murals of each era show improvements in terms of composition and rendering compared to the prior. 2. What are the two major philosophical thoughts or religious ideas that were prevalent in the Baekje society? Please explain how they influenced the production of artworks and their artistic expression in Baekje. Include two or more specific works of art in your answer. (40 points) During Baekje’s civilization from 18 BCE to 660 CE, Buddhism and Daoism were major philosophical and religious ideologies that simultaneously permeated its culture, society, and production of art. As such, some pieces contain solely Buddhist influences, Daoist influences, or a mixture of both. The Great Gilt-bronze Incense Burner from the 6th-7th century in the Buyeo region exemplifies the culmination of both thought houses. The piece can be dissected into four parts: the phoenix, the mountainous structure, the lotus leaves, and the dragon and water stand. The dragon figure, with its arched tail that acts as the stem of the sculpture, and the phoenix, which sits at the top of the figure, are auspicious Daoist symbols. They represent duality, balance, and harmony with the dragon symbolizing strength, and rigidness while the phoenix represents softness and flexibility. Additionally, the mountains are an abode to Daoist immortals, filled with various Daoist figures playing instruments in addition to animals such as tigers, dragons, and reindeer. Complementing the Daoist parts of the piece, the Lotus-shaped pedestal on the lower half of the bulbous structure is a uniquely Buddhist element of the piece. The lotus flower is a recurring motif in Buddhist art and is prevalent in various Baekje pieces. For example, the motif

of the lotus is not only apparent in the background of the footing of sculptures of Buddha but is also seen in the Convex Roof-end Tile with Lotus Design from the 6th century. One exemplary piece of Buddhist influences in Baekje society would be the Seated Buddha carved in soapstone from the late 6th century in Buyeo. This piece depicts Buddha and possesses unique aspects that are specific to Baekje Buddhism. The Buddha’s warm smile with upturned lips is a key expression that is only found in Baekje’s sculptures. Contrastingly, some pieces of work from the Baekje civilization possess solely Daoist symbology. The Earthenware Tile with Landscape Design from the 7th century in Buyeo has key Daoist elements such as the large phoenix and the depiction of Mt. Penglai (Samshin). As previously explained, the phoenix is a symbol of Daoism and is key to the concepts of harmony and balance within the Daoist philosophy. In another tile from the same collection, the landscape design is composed of 3 compositional layers, a foreground of horizontal blocks, a middle ground of mountains and trees with an anonymous human figure in the center, and a background of wispy clouds. The middle ground is believed to be a depiction of Mt. Penglai which is philosophically relevant to Daoist Chinese mythology. Moreover, the human figure in the center of the tile on the mountains is speculated to be a Daoist figure. Given this information, these tiles from the Baekje period emphasize the influence of Daoism and Daoist motifs in the art of their civilization. Holistically, the Baekje civilization’s art pieces show how Daoism and Buddhism coexisted within their society as equally-significant belief systems. 3. Compare the development of Buddhist sculpture in the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla) in terms of technical skill, artistic expression, and their relation with China. (30 points) During the Three Kingdoms period in the Korean peninsula, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla all approached Buddhist sculpture with both similar and varying perspectives in terms of skill, artistic style, and their connection to Chinese Buddhist influences. In brief, key similarities include subject matter and poses, and the incorporation of Buddhist sculpture styles from China. Key differences include the times in which Buddhism–and thus Buddhist sculptures–were adopted, Baekje’s signature “Baekje Smile” in their figures, Silla’s major artistic and skillful improvements, and the Standing Buddha of Goguryeo. The Three Kingdoms have similarities in the depiction and stylistic form of representing Buddha and Bodhisattva. For instance, all Kingdoms have culturally significant sculptures of the standing figures and the Buddha Triad. All civilizations possess standing Buddhist sculptures, although the way they go about depicting them slightly differs. Goguryeo’s Standing Buddha dated 539 in Gilt Bronze from the South Kyonsang Province possesses a teaching mudra posture and differs from the rest in that the backing is carved with Chinese characters that provide information on its exact date of creation. Baekje’s Standing Boddhisattva has a teaching mudra posture as well yet does not have any inscription in Chinese. Silla’s Standing Buddha of Medicine dated from the first half of the 7th century lacks the teaching mudra posture. All civilization’s interpretation of the Budda Triad also shows the religious similarities between the

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three. Goguryeo’s Buddha Triad (National Treasure No. 85), Baekje’s Rock Carving Buddha Triad in Seosan, and Silla’s Buddha Triad (National Treasure No. 63) in Namsan all possess great similarities in that there is a larger, centered Buddha with the teaching mudra posture along with two boddhisattvas on the left and right of him. As for the development of Buddhist sculpture in relation to China, all three civilizations have attained Buddhism from Chinese monks. Notably, Goguryeo retained their Buddhist influence from the Former Qin Dynasty and the Northern Wei Dynasty whereas Baekje acquired it from a monk from the Eastern Jin region and Silla also attained influence from Chinese monks. As for the key differences, the timeline for Buddhist adoption was most notable. Goguryeo was the first to adopt Buddhism in 372 during the reign of King Sosurim. Baekje soon after adopted it in 384 whereas Silla adopted the religion more than a century later in 528 as a State religion. In addition to these differences in the time of adoption, some of the Kingdoms approached Buddhist sculptures with new techniques and signature styles. For instance, Baekje’s Buddhist sculptures all had the “Baekje Smile” which is characterized as a warm expression with full cheeks and upturned lips. Another key unique feature of Baekje’s sculptures was the folds of the Buddha’s garment covering the rectangular base. This is seen in the Seated Buddha sculpture from the late 6th century carved in soapstone. Another feature unique to the region was their use of the tribhanga, which is defined as a slight bend at the torso for standing sculptures of Avalokiteshvara Buddha. Silla also had a unique development in their Buddhist sculptures yet they were not as apparent compared to the other two civilizations. Within the timeframe of a couple decades in the 7th century, Silla was able to greatly improve their depiction of structural anatomy and posture in their Buddhist sculptures. For example, Silla’s Pensive Bodhisattva’s from the Yangsan region in the 7th century shows great improvements compared to their Pensive Bodhisattva sculpture from earlier in the century. The former sculpture has a long waist, disproportionate, rubber-like arms, and lacks schematic drapery or an introspective facial expression whereas the one from Yangsan decades later has more proportional body features, and a subtly rendered, introspective mood to it. This rapid improvement in sculpture for the Silla kingdom was a key aspect of their timeline of Buddhist sculptures. Although Goguryeo’s figures did not have key unique features like Baekje or a large improvement arc like Silla, their civilization houses key figures with great cultural significance to the entire peninsula. As previously mentioned, their Standing Buddha dated 539 is a landmark piece since it is considered the oldest Buddhist sculpture with an inscribed date found in the region. The inscription and the backing board behind the Buddha were unlike any other figures found from Baekje or Silla since it utilized this board as a space to depict valuable information about the civilization’s relationship and adoption of the Buddhist religion. The piece’s inscription also gives light on how, compared to Silla and Baekje, Goguryeo had a stronger religious and cultural exchange with the Nothern Wei, partly due to the geographical proximities. Holistically, the three kingdoms all had great similarities in their approach to Buddhist sculpture due to relations with China yet they also had great differences specific to each

kingdom. In addition to the time of adoption, Baekje’s stylistic differences, Silla’s skillful improvements, and Goguryeo’s use of Chinese character inscription set the art of the three kingdoms apart from one another.

Korean Art History Midterm Essay

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