Rainy Landscape

Kim Su-gyu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although little is known about Kim Su-gyu (only a handful of works bear his signature and seals), the artist does have a brief entry in the standard reference on Korean painters and calligraphers, Geunyeok seohwa jing (1917), which notes that he “excelled in painting.” This work depicts two fishermen crossing a bridge and entering a mountainous forest, possibly on their way to the village at top right. Saturated in washes of blue and grey, the landscape appears damp, as described in the two-line verse: Rain clears and brightens a thousand mountains, Men in straw coats return with fishing rods. Kim signed with one of his style names, Hwalhoja, following the inscription. The small size and crease down the center of the work indicate that it was originally an album leaf that was later remounted as a hanging scroll.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art