Minwha is the folk art style from Korea. It literally means 'people's painting' and dates from the Chosun period (1392-1910). A tiger and magpie are common subjects in minwha. The artists who painted minwha were not educated scholars and this is why the tigers often look a little unusual, as the artist might have never seen a tiger in real life or in a book. Few of the paintings were signed as the art was often critical of the nobility's role in society. In minwha the tiger represents the nobility and the magpie symbolises the common people. That is why the tigers often look foolish, while the magpies are wise.
