Deer amid pine trees
소나무 아래 사슴 조선
松下雙鹿圖 朝鮮

Deer amid pine trees
소나무 아래 사슴 조선
松下雙鹿圖 朝鮮

Deer, pine trees and eternal mashrooms

19th century

Unidentified Korean artist

Two hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk

Painting

Depicting idyllic landscapes, the two scrolls displayed here celebrate auspicious imagery, especially deer and pine trees. Originally they were probably part of a set featuring the ten symbols of longevity. The blue and green landscape setting also carries a favorable meaning: it evokes an archaic style associated with a golden age in China to which later artistic traditions throughout East Asia often alluded.

The pictorial theme of the ten symbols of longevity was especially fashionable in Korea during the Joseon dynasty, and most extant works date to the nineteenth century. Painted or embroidered folding screens on the subject were initially produced for the royal court to display at palace events. The appealing motifs also filtered into folk paintings.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/78286

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2013

© 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.

Accession Number:2013.29a, b
Shipjang-001

Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910)

Korean

Korea

Ink and color on silk

Image (each scroll): 50 3/4 × 19 1/8 in. (128.9 × 48.6 cm) Overall with mounting: 83 1/4 × 25 in. (211.5 × 63.5 cm) Overall with knobs: 83 1/4 × 27 1/4 in. (211.5 × 69.2 cm)