9 Paintings and Calligraphy of Joseon Royal Court
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9 Paintings and Calligraphy of Joseon Royal Court
During the Joseon Dynasty, paintings were employed for the governance of the country. Joseon court paintings were produced through collaboration among court painters from Dohwaseo (Royal Bureau of Painting) under the supervision of Yejo (Ministry of Rituals, Education and Foreign Affairs). Painters focused on following the existing conventions such as symbolism or schematic composition for intended functions, rather than individual creativity or aesthetic quality. Calligraphy was critical in Joseon Confucian society that revered learning and scholars interpreted their learning in written form. Joseon kings and royal family members devoted themselves to writing prose and poems or practicing calligraphy as a means to express themselves. Moreover, they cultivated their minds by producing and appreciating calligraphy and painting.
9 Paintings and Calligraphy of Joseon Royal Court - Main Artifacts
9 Paintings and Calligraphy of Joseon Royal Court - Main Artifacts
Six-Fold Screen of the Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks
Joseon | Color on silk | W. 55.3cm, H. 150.5cm per panel
Screens as the backdrop of the masters' seats in their rooms traditionally signified their authority or implied their own tastes. A screen of the sun, moon and five peaks was a symbolic image of the universe which always backed the throne of the Joseon king. The components of the painting are natural, long-living things, used as metaphors of the royal benevolence in a poem ‘Tianbao’from Shijing (Book of Odes). The flat decorative depiction of the subjects in bright colors, and a panoramic symmetry, suitably present the divinity of the regime as the perpetual nexus between the earthly and heavenly realms.
Eight-Fold Screen of Peonies and Rocks
Joseon | Color on silk | W. 45.4cm, H. 166.8cm per panel
The screen with peony motif was used most abundantly in state rites. The peony in full bloom was associated with wealth and prosperity because of its sumptuous look, and its designs were frequently applied by architects, painters and artisans alike. Since the peony motif had an expanded meaning of peace and prosperity of the state, they were sometimes produced in a massive scale for use in various state rites.
9 Paintings and Calligraphy of Joseon Royal Court - Exhibit Space
9 Paintings and Calligraphy of Joseon Royal Court - VR
