Art is no exception, with many Korean artists being sent to China to complete their education. Indeed, the history of Korean painting is usually judged by its relationship to Chinese paintings of similar periods. Nevertheless, Korean paintings do show some differences to their Chinese counterparts.
Emergence
According to the Asia Art website, the earliest historical record of painting in Korea comes from the Lelang area in 108 B.C. By comparison, the first painted hand scrolls in China date back to between 770 and 481 B.C. According to the Facts and Details website, the oldest paint brush found in China was dated to 400 B.C.
Surfaces
According to Michigan State University, the use of silk in paintings by Chinese artists dates back to between the third and second centuries B.C. Many of the earliest examples are banners carried by mourners in funeral possessions. The Facts and Details website says that paintings on paper began to appear in China during the first century A.D. Korean painters didn't begin using mulberry paper and silk until the first century B.C.
Outside Influence
Paintings decorating tombs dating from the third and fourth century A.D. in Koguryo, North Korea, use similar imagery to tombs found at the Takamatsu tomb in Nara, Japan, according to the Asia Art website. The representations of clouds, birds, snakes, tortoises, lotuses and floral scrolls are thought to have been the work of Japanese-influenced artists in Korea. By contrast, Chinese paintings from the same period were not influenced by Japan.
Differing Styles
While Korea was being subjected to successive Japanase and Manchu invasions in the 17th century, Chinese artists were spearheading a revival of classical styles. By the 18th century, Korean artists had developed a number of different styles in the absence of Chinese cultural influence. These included the appearance of the "real landscape" or "Chingyoung sansu," evident in paintings by Chong Son such as the "Summer Landscape."
