This study of documentary painting, local documentary painting in particular, has never been fully illuminated in the study of Korea art history. This study aims to reveal the value and background in making Inspection Tour of Jeju Island , which was p...
This study of documentary painting, local documentary painting in particular, has never been fully illuminated in the study of Korea art history. This study aims to reveal the value and background in making Inspection Tour of Jeju Island , which was produced in the 18th century in Jeju island of Korean peninsula, by analyzing the content, style and collection of literary works.
This painting album predominantly depicts local governors` inspection tour enforced in the Chosun Dynasty. Lee Hyung Sang, who served as a Jeju local governor during 1702~1703 commissioned Kim Nam Gil, who was an untitled painter in the local, to draw the album. According to the commission made by Mr. Lee, Kim Nam Gil painted 41 individual paintings in the album. in the autumn of 1702, Lee Hyung sang began his journey from Jeju town and travelled across 2 subordinate towus and 9 military fortresses in the shoreline. He inspected the country's military defense and other administrative matters, including supplies of weapons, horses and rice. The album is comprised of various state events, which include a special party for the aged, a special state examination to recruit government officials, visits to scenic sites in Jeju Island and offering of local products for the central government. While Kim Nam Gil painted these events, Lee Hyung Sang cued in by adding more information about each individual event as well as other current state of affairs.
Documentary paintings made in Chosun Dynasty were conventionally commissioned by political elites, such as the king, royal family, noblemen and bureaucrat. Given the important roles of the political elites, it is essential to identify the purpose and historical background of the album. the producer, Lee Hyung Sang, considered as the pioneer of Shill-hak(practical school of confucianism in Chosun), stretched and deepened his own understanding of the study by associating with Yoon Du Seo, Lee Man Bu and other Namin scholars in the Vicinity of Capital Seoul. The content and composition of Inspection Tour of Jeju Island well reflects his naturalistic tendency From the socio-cultural perspective, geographical record filings and documentary paintings of rural areas were in vogue among the political elites in the 17th century. It also had ist impact in making of Inspection Tour of Jeju Island. Additionally, this album shares the same characteristics of landscape paintings of Jeju in the 19th century which has strong elements of folk art style. The similarity seems to have originated from Jeju's own formative consciousness.
The early 18th century, when the album was created, was the period of expansion for the Chosun Dynasty. Inspection Tour of Jeju Island is an example that wonderfully visualizes the governing of the far-reaching region, centering on state affairs that took place in Jeju. Therefore, this album signifies not only Lee Hyung Sang's faithful execution of his duties as a local governor but also manifests a strong kingship of that period.
In the aspect of painting history of Chosun Dynasty, the style of the album is a combination of a pictorial map and real-scenery landscape painting. It also follows the tradition of documentary painting of the previous period. Such characteristics are comparable to royal court painters' documentary paintings which followed western painting style as well as more conventional, stricter style of the traditional painting. Mixed with the elements of various painting genre, this album has rough but unique style that reflects the formative consciousness of its own region.
While Inspection Tour of Jeju Island has not received great attention as a research topic in art history, I hope this study will provide a winder and deeper understanding of the new style of documentary painting as 'inspection tour painting,' which was created at a juncture where a traditional painting style met the call of the time.