Unknown Artist
It is November, so we need some sun this week. Time for Korean art!
During the rule of the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1897) in Korea, paintings were employed for the governance of the country. Joseon court paintings were produced through collaboration among court painters from various institutions such as 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.
The most representative theme of Joseon’s royal paintings, depicted in this screen, symbolizes the king’s authority and dignity and presents a wish that the dynasty would last forever. This screen of the sun, moon, and five peaks was always set behind the king’s royal throne (eojwa) and the places for the ancestral tablet and the king’s portrait (eojin). Diverse formats were used to paint this motif, including a general screen type of four, six, or eight panels, a standing type on a separate pedestal, and a type painted on a pair of four sliding doors. The elements of the screen and the basic composition of the painting were the same, but there were slight variations of the details of the description and the location of the objects. Everything is painted in vivid colors like blue, red, green, white, and black.
As a founder of DailyArt, I love that I can explore amazing artworks from all regions that no one has told me about before. [Apologies for this personal remark!]
Have a great Thursday!
- Zuzanna
P.S. 2024 is coming; please check our beautiful 2024 DailyArt Calendars in the DailyArt Shop. :)
P.P.S. Delve into yet another masterpiece of Korean art! The attention to detail in this silkscreen painting is absolutely stunning! For more Korean art, check out the articles below.