City of Jinju

The painting shows the fortress of Jinju in an aerial view, surrounded by its inner and outer fortified walls. The fortress is protected by steep mountains on three sides, and by the broad river in the lower front. A careful geomantic consideration must have gone into selecting the site and aligning the fortress with the forces of nature. Within its inner wall are large official buildings, while the outer fortress wall encloses smaller houses of the townspeople. Beyond the upper portion of a moat on the right side can be seen clusters of people's houses sprinkled with official compounds, each neatly labeled. Some boats are moored at rest on the river, while others carry travelers or fishermen. Carefully depicted topography, buildings, and houses create a map-like appearance.

The fortified city of Jinju came into prominence because it was among a handful of fortresses that did not immediately fall at the outset of the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592. It is known that although Japanese forces laid siege to the fortress and attacked it seven times, it held. When Japanese forces returned with reinforcements, it finally did fall, on June 29, 1593. Many fascinating stories are told of the Jinju battles, some real and others apocryphal. Among such stories is the one about the beautiful courtesan Nongae who, during a victory boating party, killed herself by jumping into the river holding a Japanese general captive in her arms; he was firmly locked by her ringed fingers.

Originally, the painting had ten panels and was mounted as a folding screen. One panel, formerly on the far left, has disappeared, and the remaining panels have been mounted flat and framed.