Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Nine Dragon Falls on Diamond Mountains
Park Dae-sung (artist name: Sosan) Korean
Not on view
Measuring just over 240 feet (74 meters) in length, the Nine-Dragon Falls is perhaps the most riveting and majestic of waterfalls within the Diamond Mountains. In this painting, Park Dae-sung’s use of traditional media—ink and light color on paper—and seemingly traditional style are deceptive. Building on the conventions of true-view landscape, which stretch back to the eighteenth century, Park’s decidedly up-to-date reinterpretation emphasizes grand scale, exaggerated forms, and saturated ink to create an overpowering impression greater than the sum of its parts. Although the artist has traveled to the mountains, his images of the sites are more impressionistic than exercises in realism. The mass of black ink wash covering most of the rocks around the stream of water—indeed, much of the picture plane—does not reflect the actual scenery, yet the majesty evoked is potent and inspiring.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
