Gayoung Kim / Trip To Mountains (reaction essay) / Thu 1-3 p.m.

Paul Cezanne – Mont Sainte-Victoire:

http://www.wikiart.org/en/paul-cezanne/mont-sainte-victoire-3#supersized-artistPaintings-215706

Jung Seon - Total Scene of Diamond Mountain

http://mtcha.com.ne.kr/korean-photo/sosun/photo4-gumgangjundo.htm

 

 

 

Trip To Mountains

 

Artists talk with their paintings. They want to deliver messages to people by a canvas, brush and paint. This not only gives us a lot to think about, but also let us share emotions with artists. Here are two paintings of mountain. First one is 'Mont Sainte-Victoire' by Paul Cezanne who is called as 'The father of modern painting'. Second one is 'Total Scene of Diamond Mountain' by Jung Seon, who is one of the most famous artists from the Joseon Dynasty. These two masterpieces are expressing mountains in their own ways, but both make viewers feel like they went back to Mother Nature.

'Mont Sainte-Victoire' is an oil painting on a canvas. In the image, you can see mountain and small houses. This is the village that Paul Cezanne was raised. He used various bright colors and blunt lines. He also changed form of the houses unlike the real world. It looks like he reinterpreted the sight to send messages or feelings. Thanks to warm colors and smooth portrayal, you could get a taste of peaceful countryside. Composition of the work will also help you to appreciate the whole view from far away.

'Total Scene of Diamond Mountain' by Jung Seon was colored with black ink on a rice paper, so that the painting generally looks rough. This may happen because artists from Joseon Dynasty were very poor and couldn't afford chromatic colored ink. He depicted only Diamond Mountain, which is popular for showing 4 beautiful views as seasons change, without any surroundings. So you can enjoy original and realistic feature of the mountain.

Two paintings are created in quite different ways. 'Mont Sainte-Victoire' is much more colorful then the black-and-white drawing. 'Total Scene of Diamond Mountain' seems darker but the color contrast offers clearer view of the scene. Meanwhile, Paul Cezanne recreates the rural scenery altering the shape of buildings. On the contrary, Jung Seon tried to preserve almost exact view of Diamond Mountain by depicting it precisely. This may reflect cultural background of Joseon Dynasty. Back then, artists believe it is important to draw things similar to the actual objects as far as possible. Despite of all these differences, both artists were attracted to mountain views and wanted to share their emotions with viewers.

Great works of art can be painted with a variety of ways, tools and colors. Every piece contains each painter's perspective from diverse cultures. However, all of those drawings want to talk to people, share thoughts and emotions, and let us have second experiences. This is what makes art precious. By interacting with artists through paintings, our life will be richer.