Sin Saimdang’s Plants and Insects

Also called: Chochungdo

Paintings of grasses and flowers with the insects among them, attributed to Sin Saimdang — delicate observation and colour by a woman painter.

Chochungdo show plants such as cucumbers, aubergines, cockscomb and poppies, with butterflies, bees, frogs and dung beetles among them. Sin Saimdang (1504–1551), born at Ojukheon in Gangneung, excelled at poetry, calligraphy and painting and was said to paint such subjects especially well. Screens and albums attributed to her are in the National Museum of Korea and at Ojukheon.

Small creatures are closely observed and painted in soft, calm colours. Her later veneration as the mother of the scholar Yi I made the paintings more famous still.