Shin Saimdang

Korean spelling
Hangeul	신
Hanja	申
Revised Romanization	Shin Saimdang
McCune- Reischauer	Shin Saimtang
Honorary name
Hangeul	인
Hanja	仁
Revised Romanization	In-seon
McCune- Reischauer	Insŏn
See also : Korean name

Self-portrait by Shin Saimdang

Shin Saimdang (신 | 사 | 임 | 당, * 29. October 1504 in Gangneung , † 17th May 1551 in Pyeongan-do ) was a Korean painter , calligrapher and famous poet and mother of the Neo-Confucian scholar and politician Yi I . In Korea she is considered the ideal of a good mother. One of her respectful names of honor is Eojin Eomeoni (어진 어머니; in German: wise mother ). Her original name was Yinsun , her stage names : Saimdang , Inimdang and Imsajae .

Life

Shin Saimdang was born and raised in Gangneung . She lived mostly with her maternal grandparents. Her father, Shin Myeonggwa (申命 和), was a government official without being politically active. Her mother was the daughter of nobleman Lee Sa-on (李思 溫). Shin was the oldest of five girls. Since he had no male descendants, her maternal grandfather also taught her everything that a boy would traditionally have learned from him. Although coming from a traditionally oriented family, she received an education and training that was very unusual for the time. She learned literature, poetry, calligraphy, embroidery and painting.

Even after her marriage to commandant Yi Won-su (李元秀) at the age of 19, she still spent a lot of time with her grandparents' household with her husband's approval. She later accompanied him on his professional trips; that too was very unusual for the time. At the age of 32 she had her son Yi I in Gangneung . According to legend, she had a dream about a white dragon during pregnancy, which she interpreted as a prediction that her child would one day be something very special. She therefore encouraged her son in a special and idealizing way. In Korea this has given her the status of an ideal image of a good and caring mother. At the age of 48, she and her family moved to Pyeongan-do Province (near present-day Paju ), where she suddenly and unexpectedly died shortly afterwards.

Though Saimdang grew up in a conservative Confucian society, she was able to develop her talents thanks to her less conventional grandparents and understanding husband. This background had a strong influence on the upbringing of their own children.

Act

Shin Saimdang's paintings are known for their sensitive rendering. Her favorite subjects were insects, flowers, butterflies, orchids, grapes, fish and landscapes. Around 40 paintings based on ink and mineral paints can be assigned to her. However, it is believed that many more images have survived.

Few of her calligraphy have survived, but her style received high praise in her day. There are many written records that deal with her work and praise her. The scholar Eo Suk-gwon, in his book Paegwan Japgi (Hangeul: 패관 잡기 , Hanja: 稗官 雜記 , The Storyteller's Collection ), compared Saimdang's paintings with those of the famous artist Ahn Gyeon . Much later, in 1868, when the governor of Gangneung saw Saimdang's works, he made the remark: "Saimdang's calligraphy is carefully written, noble and elegant, clear and pure, filled with feminine virtues".

Poems

• Looking back at my parents 'house as I walk across Daegwallyeong Pass ( Yudaegwanryungmangchinjung , Hangeul: 유 대관령 망 친정 , Hanja: 踰 大 關嶺 望 親 庭 ) - poem on the occasion of the departure from her parents' house, full of sadness because she to leave her mother alone.
• Thinking of the parents ( Sachin , Hangeul: 사친 , Hanja: 思 親 ) - A poem, filial adoration of the mother.

painting

• 

  Chochungdo , a style of painting that was established by Shin Saimdang, depicts plants and insects.

• 

  Chochungdo

• 

  Chochungdo

• 

  Motif also on the back of the 50,000 won note

Honors

Portrait of Shin Saimdang on 50,000 won bill

Shin Saimdang is the first and so far only woman in South Korea to be depicted on a banknote, the 50,000  won note , the highest denomination banknote currently in circulation in Korea.

The decision to do so has been heavily criticized in South Korea. On the one hand by conservative men, on the other hand also by women from the women's movement . Since Shin Saimdang is considered the ideal of a good caring mother in Korea, they criticized the fact that this selection served and promoted sexist stereotypes .

See also

• Yi I
• History of korea
• Confucianism in Korea
• Neoconfucianism outside of China

Web links

Commons : Shin Saimdang  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Shin Saimdang: role model for the women of Korea. In: KBS World. June 20, 2011, accessed May 13, 2012 . 
• Ojukheon House (오죽헌). Visit Korea, accessed June 16, 2014 . 
• 신 사임당 (Shin Saimdang). Navercast, accessed June 16, 2014 (Korean). 
• 여성계 "신 사임당 5 만원권 인물 선정 유감". Naver, accessed June 16, 2014 (Korean). 
• <고액권 인물 ②> 신 사임당 (申 師 任 堂). November 5, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2014 (Korean). 
• 여성계 "5 만원권 신 사임당 안돼" .. 반발 확산. Naver, November 7, 2007, accessed June 16, 2014 (Korean). 

literature

• Deok-su: The house in the black bamboo grove, mother of the nation of Korea. Self-published, Wörrstadt 2002, ISBN 3-00-013842-0 (Korean: 신 사임당 . Translated by Yang-Sook Gründel, née Yi, a biography of the mother of the scholar Yul-Gok, expanded by the translator).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 신 사임당 (Shin Saimdang). In: Doosan Encyclopedia. Naver, accessed June 16, 2014 (Korean). 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} 신 사임당 (Shin Saimdang). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, accessed June 16, 2014 (Korean). 
3. ↑ Kuiwon: Korean Currency Note Series. Blog about the Korean banknote series. May 21, 2013, accessed May 18, 2014 . 
4. ↑ "Best mom" chosen as the face of currency. Best mom selected as face on money note. Reuters, November 6, 2007, accessed June 16, 2014 . 
5. ^ Currency in circulation - Introduction to Banknotes. (No longer available online.) The Bank of Korea, archived from the original on December 31, 2014 ; accessed on May 18, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Korean. Shin is the family name here, Saimdang is the first name.