Solgo was a man lived in the period of Silla.
He was very fond of painting from his childhood. Even though he had no meals many times due to poverty, he had no day without painting, they say.
His skill in painting at that time reached the stage that no one could compete with him.
He was asked to paint a picture on the wall of Hwangryong Temple which was built about the year of 560.
The picture he painted was an old pine tree.
The old pine tree painted with mysterious brushwork seemed to be a real fresh pine tree, for its trunk with bars cracked like tortoise shell seasoned through the storms of life spanning several hundred years and green pine-needles glittering as if they had dews on them.
The old pine-tree was so true to life that crows, kites, swallows and sparrows would fly into it, but they hit against the wall and fell.
Thus, the painting had been handed down as a treasure in our country.
As days went by, the painting grew dull in color due to the sunlight, snow, rain and wind.
The priests in Hwangryong Temple who were disappointed about this strived to paint again with original color, showing all of their sincerity.
But since then, no birds flied into the old pine tree.
It was impossible to restore the Solgo’s curious and mysterious brushwork to the original state.
