
Painter Jang Seung-eop's shinig art works
Jang Seung-eop is the father of modern Korean oriental painting.Born an orphan, jang Seung-eop (1843-1897), known by his pen name Owon, learned to paint when living in the household of aristocrat Yi Ung-heon.While the monarchy crumbled and the foundations of traditional Korean art swayed, Owon painted for a new audience, mastering both styles of oriental painting: Namjonghwa and Bukjonghwa.Owon painted to sell. He painted for the newly empowered merchants, for a new art market. He was one of the few painters to hold a position of rank in court.Able to create exquisite landscapes, portraits and paintings of daily life, Owon found his muse in women and wine.Legend has it that Owon frequented banquets, churning out paintings on the spot while drinking liquor served to him by beautiful women.His "Chunnamgeuknoin" (Spring's South Pole Star) shines vibrantly. The incarnation of the South Pole Star, an old man, peers out mischievously from the painting. Garbed in a green robe, he holds the scroll of life and death in one hand. Beneath him a sly child offers him a celestial peach, a symbol of longevity.