Xie An (謝安, 320–385)was a renowned man of letters, member of the literati elite, military strategist, and politician of the Eastern Jin Dynasty of China. He is now generally regarded as one of the most honest and culturally refined prime ministers and one of the brightest military schemers in Chinese history. Xie An is also one of the most frequently painted historic figures in China. The painting that captures Xie An ’s secluded life in East Mountain with a female attendants was once particularly popular among artists. It was at East Mountain where Xie An enjoyed writing poetry and listening to music. Although the theme of such paintings originated from Chinese history, they were also popular in Korea throughout the Joseon period (1392-1910). Surviving works of this kind show that Joseon artists were much less productive than Chinese artists, but that they had access to richer resources concerning the history and culture related with the life of Xie An. The Righteous Mind of East Mountain (Dongsanageum) and Bringing Courtesans to East Mountain (Dongsanhyugi) by Kim Hong-do (1745-1806), for instance, bear titles which express the artist's intention in a more direct manner. In the first painting, the late Joseon artist focuses his attention more on the theme of “the salvation of people all over the world ” than on the tasteful entertainment enjoyed by his contemporary literati elites, which generally involved the presence of a professional female entertainer(s), by connecting the theme with Xie An’s efforts to relieve people from the chaos of the world during the Wei and Jin periods. The artist's intention is connected with one character, geum (“collars”), of the four-character title, which also signifies “mind” or “thought”. Meanwhile, the second painting is thought to be intended to stress Xie An's aesthetic taste and his honest and decent personality. An analysis of the two paintings suggests that Kim Hong-do had comprehensive knowledge of Xie An and his hiking trip to East Mountain when he produced these paintings. Indeed, Kim Hong-do was able to produce works containing “ancient meanings” because he based his works upon his ample knowledge of tradition.