Hawk at Sunrise

Hawk at Sunrise

Jeong Hong-Rae 정홍래 鄭弘來

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Birds of prey, like this hawk, were symbols of strength and righteousness and this is conveyed through the hawk’s fierce stare and regal pose. This painting modifies the earlier 15th-16th-century Joseon depictions of trained birds of prey tied to and perched on ornamented stands. From the early Joseon, birds of prey were associated with the Imperial Censorate, an office that required courage and keen sense of justice. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the heroic hawk is placed within an auspicious environment of buoyant waves, blue-green rocks, and red sun.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.