Min hwa is paintings drawn by the general public and through the people's demands show the simplicity and pureness. Therefore minhwa is much related to the lives of the people.

These folk paintings show humor and wit. This is our cultural emotions and is not to be found in any other paintings.

Min hwa expresses creativity and is free from the rules of specialized art.

Varities of Min Hwa

Sansoodo (Mountains and Water)

Folk paintings are usually in color. Sansoodo is a drawing of mountains and either lakes, reivers, streams, or water falls. The pictures are drawn on folding screens or pasted on walls.

These paintings were occasionally put where guests could easily see them.

Mountains have much meaning for Koreans. Therefore it is a popular subject.



Kumkangsan do (Painting of Mt.Kumkang)

Much influenced by the painter Chungsun, who drew a painting of Mt.Kumkang, ordinary people started drawing the mountain and it became one of the favorite mountains drawn.

Chungsun drew stones of the mountains as if it were monks standing in a line, and this moved and affected many people.

Although Mt.Kumkang is real, the way in which it is portrayed is more mystical than realistic.

Hwa cho do (Painting of a bird and flowers)

A large amount of paintings were "hwa cho do". Usually flowers and a pair of birds were depicted, for instance, a pair of birds and peony blossoms meant the harmony of married couples, Flowers were also drawn with stones or fishes.

Hwa cho do were water colored paintings deeply painted in red, blue, green, and yellow.



Cho Choong do (Insects and Grass)

These paintings were of butterflies, locusts, crickets, and frogs with the grasses or the plants of autumn. Most were made into folding screens.

The first person to draw "chochoongdo" was Shin Saimdang. She drew autumn grasses with grapes, insects and this influenced the public.

She used every day objects in her paintings.

Ho Pyo Do (Picture of a Tiger)

The sitting pose of the tiger is light-hearted and does not show the usual fierceness of the tiger. Tigers shown in "minhwa" have the body of a cat and laughter unducing smile.

Chinju Tiger

This is a picture of an ugly tiger but with its three cubs, has something, majestic about it. There is no information of any kind about the person who drew this picture, except the fact that his name was Shin Chae Hyun.

Because of its discovery in Chinju, this paintings is called Chinju Tiger.

Poong sok do

There are two kinds of "poongsokdo". One is "kyungjok-do" and the other is " Pyungsaengdo", "Kyungjik do" is a painting of a farming village, "Pyongsaengdo" is a painting of life starting from birth and ending in death. Life of scholars were displayed.

Moonbangdo (Paintings of Stationery)

Books, paper, brush, inkstone, ink and vase, flowers, pencil holder, fruits, pottery, fans and eyeglasses were drawn in this painting. Books meant the everlasting hope for learning for the scholars.

Moonchado (Calligraphy)

This painting depicts the variations of 8 Chinese characters. The meanings are related to Confucianism. Colorful oil paints were used.

Shashindo (Paintings of the four Gods)

The first time the four gods were painted was in the Koryo period on murals. The four gods were called "chungryong", "paekho", "choojak", and "hyunmu". In order, they were drawn in the shapes of a dragon, tiger, chicken, and a tortoise.

Shipjangsaengdo (Painting of ten symbols)

This drawing is of ten symbols that represent longevity. These ten symbols are the sun, the moon, clouds, water, stone, deer, tortoise, crane, pine tree, and herbs bringing eternal youth.