Final answer:
The artwork 'Summer Trees' by Song Su-nam can be seen as an expression of Korean culture through traditional ink and paper mediums, potentially symbolizing friends, traditional virtues, or the qualities of a Literatus, embedded in its representation of trees.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject matter of the artwork 'Summer Trees' by Song Su-nam is more than just a depiction of trees. It is, indeed, an instance of how traditional Korean culture manifests in art, inviting interpretations that could include symbolizing friends standing together or evoking the qualities associated with a Literatus. The ink and paper medium is significant here, as it connects to the longstanding East Asian tradition of ink wash painting which has often used nature as a metaphor for various human qualities, and has been an avenue for artists to express their cultural and philosophical ideas.
Examples of this can be seen in the case of Wen Zhengming, who painted landscapes with bold and delicate strokes, symbolizing aesthetics and moral characteristics drawn from nature. Similarly, the 'Four Gentlemen' in East Asian art embody Confucian virtues conveyed through the representations of bamboo, orchids, apricot or plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums. Furthermore, traditional Korean landscape paintings, such as those by Jeong Seon, strive to capture the 'true-view' which could align with the interpretation of the artwork 'Summer Trees' as landscapes symbolizing the qualities of a Literatus.