Lovers in Art
In the decade... 1795 - 1805
Lovers under the Moon
Shin Yun - Bok (1758)
C. 1805, Joseon Dynasty
Photo courtesy of Kansong Art Museum
“Lovers under the Moon” by Shin Yun-bok (ca.1758-after 1813, penname: Hyewon), a master of genre painting of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), depicts the bittersweet moment when two lovers must bid farewell after a brief rendezvous under the moonlight, capturing the basic human emotions of ardent love and heartache of separation.
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The painting depicts a man and woman standing, side by side on the right side of the painting.
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To the left, there is a crescent moon suspended in the sky over a house rooftop.
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The man and woman are having a rendezvous in an alleyway late at night.
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From his clothes we can make a guess of the man’s status as a nobleman.
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Holding a lantern in his right hand, he seems to be reaching for something in his pocket with his left hand.
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The man’s face is turned in the opposite direction, gazing longingly at the woman with lingering affection though he seems to be reaching for something in his pocket with his left hand.
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The woman’s attire indicates that she is an upper-class lady.
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Her face, which is partly revealed below the hood, is turned toward the man, her eyes downcast with dismay.
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A short poem is written on the wall: “The moon sinks low / it is past three gyeong [from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.] / What’s in the hearts of the two people / only the two people know.” Hyewon, the painter’s penname, is written below the poem.
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One can observe that the human figures are sharply out- lined and the objects in the background are formed with blurred lines, in lighter colors.
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Therefore the two figures clearly stand out from the background.
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There is also a symmetry, which is created by the couple on the right and the house and the moon on the left.
