The vast territory of the Diamond Mountains encompasses three connected but distinct regions: Inner, Outer, and Sea Geumgang, from west to east, respectively. Inner Geumgang is celebrated for an abundance of spectacular vistas, including from temples and lookout pavilions, and for its tallest peak, Birobong. Outer Geumgang is more rugged and steep and boasts myriad rocky peaks along with glorious waterfalls. Sea Geumgang, the region along the coast, is especially distinguished for fantastical rock formations and basaltic pillars rising from the waters.

The name Geumgang has multiple associations, including as a sacred site of both Buddhist and Daoist origins, a ritual implement, and the diamond. These layers of meaning and its topographical spectacles have accorded the region a legendary status that has drawn enthusiastic travelers for centuries.

A preeminent literati painter of Joseon-period Korea, Jeong Seon (1676–1759) revolutionized landscape painting. He is credited with launching a new genre today known as true-view landscapes (jingyeong sansuhwa), featuring native sites rather than famous Chinese locales or generic, idealized scenery, as had been the convention, and new takes on traditional brushwork and compositions.

Two key elements of Jeong's stylistic vocabulary repeatedly appear in his paintings of the Diamond Mountains: razor-sharp vertical strokes (sujikjun) deployed to portray the eye-catching rocky peaks; and short horizontal strokes or dots (in homage to an earlier Chinese painter, Mi Fu) to articulate pine trees or, combined with broad washes, masses of foliage. These features appear prominently even in his earliest extant work on the subject, the Album of Mount Geumgang, displayed here. Deeply trained in various traditions of Chinese and Korean painting, Jeong masterfully synthesized the multiple paradigms and infused his work with a strong personal style. A giant in his own time, Jeong had a lasting impact on artists of subsequent generations, especially in works illustrating the Diamond Mountains. His legacy continues even today.

The works displayed in this section demonstrate how traditions of Mount Geumgang imagery continued and changed in the nineteenth century. Jeong Seon proved a potent inspiration for many painters, especially those of the literati class. One notable devotee was Sin Hakgwon. His two paintings in this exhibition—making rare public appearances—exemplify both the perpetuation of an earlier legacy and the emergence of an idiosyncratic style.

Painters catering to the non-elite transformed the conventions of true-view landscapes established by Jeong Seon. Indeed, the rise of folk paintings—whose whimsical representations of Mount Geumgang deviated from polished, realistic renditions—expanded the possibilities of landscapes of the Diamond Mountains.

Various artists during the nineteenth century amplified or transformed the traditions of the original true-view landscapes developed around images of the Diamond Mountains. An important trend of this period was exemplified by professional painters like Kim Hajong; their works took direct inspiration from the compositions and style of Kim Hongdo, a hugely versatile and celebrated court painter of the late eighteenth century. This lineage—which incorporated a Western-style sense of realism in shading, details, and spatial depth along with a greater range of compositions that included many more sites in Outer and Sea Geumgang—formed a parallel paradigm to that of Jeong Seon and his followers.

Major political upheavals and transitions in the twentieth century through Japanese colonial rule (1910–1945), the division of the peninsula into two halves (1945), and the Korean War (1950–1953) dramatically changed access to and image-making of the Diamond Mountains. Periods of rapid modernization of infrastructure and transportation as well as active tourism alternated with intervals of inaccessibility. As in the preceding era, artists took the opportunity, whenever possible, to travel to and experience the wonders of this famed site. Their work often reflects, directly or tangentially, the layered traditions of visual art on the subject. The modern and contemporary artists' impressions and interpretations of this landscape have been inevitably filtered through a deep sense of longing and nostalgia. The Diamond Mountains imagery continues to stimulate contemporary fascination while offering beauty and solace in our troubled times.