Nine Dragon Falls

The Diamond Mountains (Geumgang-san; situated in what is now North Korea) are some of Korea's most sacred ones. Wondrous peaks and falls of this famous mountain range have inspired writers and artists for centuries.

Like the famous Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) artists who painted personally or culturally significant sites, Park has traveled throughout the country to experience and sketch many sites; his travels began in the 1970s. He belongs to a handful of South Korean painters who have had opportunities during recent years to visit such famous sites in North Korea as the Diamond Mountains and Mt. Myohyang.
Park's aim here was to capture not a photographically realistic scene, but rather the awe and excitement he experienced during his visit to the Diamond Mountains. In this panoramic mind-picture, he compressed the mountain range into an awe-inspiring rocky mass. Park's strong contrast of dark and light and his pulsating, rough brushwork create a drama worthy of this famous site.

The Nine Dragon Falls plummet from the rocks in the very center of the composition; Park successfully conveys the explosive force of the falls with a straight line untouched by ink. Visible above thick fog, the sharp peaks at the top shimmer like gigantic, brilliantly cut diamonds. A small hermitage built precariously high on the cliff at left further enhances the sense of excitement.

In contrast to the powerful rocky forms rendered with slashing strokes and bristling with energy, the hills in the lower part of the painting are rounded and gentle. A simple low pavilion can be seen in this section. The pulsating brush style seen in most of this painting also makes a fascinating contrast to the lyrical brush style in Park's painting of the snow-covered Bulguk-sa temple currently on display at the entrance to the Korean galleries.

In his inscription Park says that one's negative thoughts are the cause of one's suffering. He signs the painting with his given name, Dae-sung (dae means "big", sung means "accomplish").