Module 10 Comparison Post: Bahram Gur Fights the Garg and Maebyeong decorated with cranes and clouds

 Bahram Gur Fights the Karg and Maebyeong decorated with cranes and clouds both come out of ancient Asian history. Though they come from different parts of Asian history and different regions they have some similarities that are worth pointing out, so we can see how the different cultures and times in Asia have influenced each other. Bahram Gur Fights the Garg is a painting found in a book that may have been owned by a noble person. A maebyeong is a vase that was used to store wine and other alcoholic beverages, this particular maebyeong may have also been owned by a noble person. Both of these pieces have hints of gold on them which probably meant that the people who owned them held some sort of political power or nobility. Both were made using the same techniques of very fine lines. This was something that was very popular at the time in Asia. Everything has a very thin line that outlines everything in both pieces. In Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, one can see the lines around the trees and both the animals and Bahram Gur. One can also see the small details on the clothing and fur of the animals and this really helps give the piece texture and flow. You can also find thin lines used for the crane on the Maebyeong. It gives the viewer a sense of how small the bird’s legs are. The thin line around clouds also helps the clouds pop against such a light background. Another similarity is the naturalistic look of both pieces. Everything in Bahram Gur Fights the Karg closely mirrors what it would look like in the real world. The fur on the animals makes it seem like you can go up to the painting and pet the animals. You can also see this on the crane on the Maebyeong, now there are not many details for the feathers but the crane definitely took on the shape of a real crane spreading its wings. The clouds also resemble what they might look like if you went outside and looked at real clouds. Finally, both pieces have a flow that has the viewer going back to a focal point. In Bahram Gur Fights Karg that is Bahram Gur and his horse, on the Maebyeong it is the crane. When you look at Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, your eye is drawn to the horse and Bahram Gur. Then if you look to the Karg you may look at his horn that leads up to the tree which then circles you back to Bahram and the horse. On the Maebyeong you are drawn to the crane then the clouds and the clouds sort of mirror the shape of the crane which brings the viewer back to the crane. 

There are some differences in these pieces. Bahram Gur Fights the Karg shows text about what is happening in the art. You do not see any text on the Maebyeong. Also Bahram Gur Fights the Karg has a very cluttered look, it has a lot of details all around the piece making a frame around the focal point. On the Maebyeong, there are only cranes and clouds and they only take up a very small portion of the Maebyeong.

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Citations

Met Museum. “Maebyeong Decorated with Cranes and Clouds.” Metmuseum.org. The Met. Accessed October 27, 2021. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39590.

 Yantz, Jayne. “Bahram Gur Fights the Karg (Horned Wolf).” Smarthistory, January 20, 2017. https://smarthistory.org/bahram-gur-fights-the-karg/.