Gods in Korean Art - Essay Example

Buddhists were in charge of safeguarding countries, eradicating evil and averting disasters. However, to the 18th and 19th century Koreans, they were regarded as gods that granted fortunes, prevented calamities, and protected Buddhist temples (lacma.org). This is the reason why the painting was done by monks, believing that the presence of the three deities in their temple would protect not only the building but also the people in it as well as the worshippers who visit the place. This depiction of the gods explicitly portrays the trust Koreans have in them as well as the honor and reverence they give them. The attendants and guardians surrounding the three deities show how they fuss over them in attending to their needs.

It should be noted that the guardians are not Koreans but Chinese. This is evident in the clothing worn and the hairstyles of the attendants and guardians. This also presents evidence of the relationship between China and Korea in terms of religious systems. The painting does not only show historical facts but also symbolisms used in Buddhism. For instance, Indra is shown holding a lotus flower symbolic of lightning that oversees the sun, thunder, and rain. Brahma on the other hand appears to hold a peony while Skanda stands between the former two deities and on a lower level. It is also noticed that the headdress of Skanda is different from that of Indra and Brahma. They have their own stories of having been attracted to the teachings of Buddha and later appointed as protectors of the teachings and promoted as gods. The painting shows the rich literature of Korea and their use of symbolism even in artworks.

The painting largely uses the primary color red. Blue is also used but not as much as red. The most prominent secondary color is green. White and brown define the colors of the subject’s skin and the collars of their clothes. In general, the colors form an attractive combination that perhaps reflects the cultural background of the painter or the subjects. With the many images of different sizes and shapes, there are different lines used in the painting. Thick brush strokes were used to show the prominent parts of the image. For instance, the backrest of the chairs of Indra and Brahma are painted with thick brush strokes detailing the images forming curved lines. There are also lines not so heavily thickened like the brushstrokes on the clothes of the images which give the design and folds. Thin lines are used to define more detailed parts of the images such as the edges of images. For instance, the designs of the headdresses are given more details through the use of thin lines. With the various images portrayed in the painting, it has been necessary to use not only the different thicknesses of lines but also different shaped lines such as curves, diagonal, horizontal, vertical, and straight. The swords held by the guardians are some examples that show the aforementioned differences in direction and form of lines.

Moreover, there are also different shapes and forms used in the painting. The shapes like the blue decorations used in the background have indefinite shapes but they are closed figures that are used for some purpose by the painter. Other forms are shown in the headdresses and the heads of some of the subjects. The painting is two-dimensional, laid on a flat canvas that has features similar to a photograph. The subjects facing the viewer straight forward have a seemingly photographic effect that shows two dimensions. However, there are also three-dimensional figures that show the shape of objects or parts of the bodies of some subjects. For instance, the heads of those who were looking away from the viewer show three dimensions namely height, width, and thickness. The bellies of the guardians in the front row are big because of the illusionary shape used in the painting. There is also an illusion of space in the painting making it appear that some of the figures are in front while others are in the middle and still others are at the back. This illusion is achieved by inserting some of the other figures between the others, showing only the parts that are necessary to create space. For example, the ladies at the back are partially shown; their bodies appear to be hidden by the other images in front of them. Read More