They show figures from folk mythology and legends, symbols of happiness, wealth and health, and scenes of everyday life. The paintings worked on a number of levels. Both common people and nobles would commission these artists. Important stages in life were also marked by the painting of a minhwa picture. The artists are mostly unknown commoners of the low and middle class and some were traveling visitors usually attending festivals who followed trends in fine art to develop the crude minhwa style artwork that expressed its emotions using symbolism, optimism, humor, and satire. The artists were common people who went from place to place, often following festivals, where they would paint for the locals, fulfilling their commissions on the spot. Minhwa art developed into its present form in the seventeenth century. Minhwa began being used in palaces by royal court painters before anonymous artists adopted and dispersed their art to the populace to convey messages, ward away evil spirits, and wish for good things to happen. Yoon (2020) mentions that “Minhwa is a traditional art form that was intimately connected to the lives of the Korean people, so it best embodies the Korean sentiment” (p. Minhwa means popular painting or people’s art and is traditional Korean folk art from the Chosun era (1392-1910) painted onto paper or on canvas. They feature popular themes such as cranes, rocks, water, clouds, the sun, moon, pine-trees, tortoises, insects and flowers. They were believed to possess beneficial virtues and to protect the owner and his family from evil forces. Minhwa also involved a magical dimension.

This type of painting was often the work of anonymous craftsmen who faithfully adhered to the styles, canons and genres inherited from the past. Minhwa literally means 'painting of the people' or 'popular painting'. The term 'minhwa' was coined by Yanagi Muneyoshi. Minhwa refers to Korean folk art produced mostly by itinerant or unknown artists without formal training, emulating contemporary trends in fine art for the purpose of everyday use or decoration.

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