Hawk at Sunrise
A hawk perches on a rock above the sea as a red sun rises, by Jeong Hong-rae, an 18th-century court painter renowned for his hawks. Full commentary ↓
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Hawk at Sunrise is a painting by Jeong Hong-Rae 정홍래 鄭弘來 (second half 18th century–first half 19th century) in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It measures 113 × 59.7 cm.
In the pictureA brown hawk sits on a blue rock battered by waves and glares to the side. Above, a red sun is rising, and below it hazy mountain ranges overlap. The hawk's feathers are painted strand by strand, and beneath the rock the waves surge and throw up white spray. The mounting is green silk.
BackgroundA hawk above the sea at sunrise was a favorite subject in the late Joseon dynasty, combining the hawk's courage with the energy of the rising sun to pray for New Year blessings and to ward off misfortune. Jeong Hong-rae was a painter of the Dohwaseo (royal painting bureau) under King Yeongjo, especially skilled at painting hawks, and he received many royal commissions. The pairing in one picture of finely detailed feathers and schematically rendered waves is characteristic of court painting of this period.
Puzzle tipThe red sun, brown hawk, blue rock and white waves divide clearly by color, making this a good one to do with a child. Assemble the sun and hawk pieces first, then attach the rock and waves at the bottom. The hazy mountains and sky at the top differ little in color, so leave them for last.
- Artist
- Korean, born 1720
- Period
- Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Culture
- Korea
- Classification
- Paintings
- Medium
- Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions
- 113 × 59.7 cm
- Credit line
- Purchase, Michael and Kathleen Linburn Gift, 2022
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗
In these collections: Seollal Korean Painting Puzzles
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