Yi Am

Yi Am (Korean: 이암; Hanja: 李巖, c. 1499 or 1507–1566) was a painter during the early- to mid-Joseon Dynasty.

As a literati court painter, Yi Am's works spanned portraiture, bird-and-flower and animal paintings. His extant paintings are famous for their unique depictions of animals, particularly dogs. He used washes of ink instead of distinct lines to define the animal bodies, a method that heavily influenced future Joseon bird-and-flower paintings. This influence spread to Japan as well; Tawaraya Sōtatsu's paintings of puppies with a similar technique have been considered a possible starting point for the development of the Rinpa school tarashikomi. The themes of natural harmony and familial love in Yi Am's animal paintings also influenced later Korean painters Byeon Sang-byeok and Kim Sik.