Poster - Ji-un Jo, Cats under the Willow
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ARTLIA's art prints are produced according to standardized paper and canvas formats.
Depending on the aspect ratio of the original artwork and the chosen format, it may happen that the edges of the image are slightly adjusted to achieve a harmonious overall effect and high print quality.
For canvas prints, the ARTLIA team ensures that the main motif is placed as fully as possible on the front side. The side frame areas are continued in color and style to match the original image.
This is a deliberate and common production step with which the ARTLIA team ensures the aesthetic quality of each artwork.
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Poster - Ji-un Jo, Cats under the Willow
With this framed poster - Ji-un Jo, Cats under the Willow, you can make a striking statement in any room. Printed on high-quality, thick, matte paper.
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• 0.26 mm (10.3 mil) thick
• Black and white frame made from semi-hard alder wood
• Frame made from solid oak wood
• Acrylic front protection sheet
• Hanging hardware included
• 21 × 30 cm posters are A4 size
• Raw product components in the USA sourced from Japan and the USA
• Raw product components in the EU sourced from Japan and Latvia
How to attach the hooks to horizontal 61 × 91 cm frames:
Attach each hanging hook 2.5 cm from the frame corners when hanging the poster horizontally.
Cats under the Willow (유하묘도, 柳下猫圖, Yuha Myodo)
The Korean Folk Painting Minhwa
At first glance, this painting shows nothing more than a peaceful scene: two adult cats and three kittens beneath a willow, accompanied by a magpie. Yet in Korean folk painting (Minhwa), nothing is depicted by chance. Each motif carries symbolic meaning and conveys a wish or blessing.
Minhwa is Korea’s traditional folk painting. Unlike court painting, which was intended for the royal court and nobility, it emerged for the everyday lives of ordinary people. The paintings decorated homes and were meant to bring their owners good luck, health, prosperity, and a long life. For this reason, animals, plants, and other natural motifs in Minhwa usually represent more than themselves; they stand for particular values and hopes.
The painting Yuha Myodo (Cats under the Willow) is traditionally attributed to the painter Jo Ji-un (조지운, 1637–1691). Although its authorship has not been definitively established, the work is considered one of the best-known examples of Korean animal paintings with symbolic significance.
The pair of cats represents harmony and family unity. The three kittens symbolize the wish for descendants and a flourishing future for the family.
The cat also has a special symbolic meaning. The Chinese character for “cat” (猫) sounds similar to the character 耄, which refers to an advanced age. Because of this wordplay, the cat became a symbol of longevity in East Asia.
The willow represents renewal, vitality, and endurance. In Korea, the magpie is regarded as a bird of good fortune and a bearer of good news and joyful events.
Together, these motifs convey a wish that has accompanied many generations: a long life, a harmonious family, numerous descendants, as well as good luck and prosperity.
Minhwa thus offers a special perspective on Korean culture. Behind the seemingly simple depictions lie wishes, hopes, and ideas about life that shaped people’s everyday lives for centuries.
