• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.62
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• pp.263-289
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• 2016

Confucius, whose life coincided with the Warring States period of China, is one of the most respected sages in world history whose teachings and life produced countless disciples in China, Korea, and Japan. There are innumerable pictures, sculptures, and other artworks that portray memorable deeds of Confucius and interesting anecdotes that involve his pupils. One of the most popular subjects for these Confucian portrayals is the anecdote in which Confucius and his pupil, Zhi Ru, discover a tilting vessel at an ancestral shrine in the Lu dynasty and use it to understand the doctrine of the mean. The vessel becomes the basis for the famous Chinese expression, "the cautionary vessel beside one's seat," which is nowadays used to denote one's motto for life. Portraits of these tilting vessels can be divided between those showing the vessels only and others that show Confucius observing the vessels. The former serve as visual reminders, for rulers and policy makers, of the doctrine of the mean that is necessary to fair and righteous governance. The latter form part of the pictorial biography of Confucius with educational content and messages. Interestingly, portraits of Confucius observing or studying tilting vessels have been famous among members of the royal court and the literati, circulated either as single artworks or included in the folding screens of human portraits. Portrayals of other Confucian anecdotes are mostly found in albums that visualize the genealogy of the Way; in contrast, the portraits of Confucius and the tilting vessels were included in folding screens that were popular among the literati that enjoyed stylish works of art and antiques. The portraits of tilting vessels thus highlight the diverse functions and symbolic value of human portraits. This study classifies the portraits of tilting vessels into various forms, and analyzes the period-and objective-dependent changes and characteristics in these portraits. With its exploration of the diverse functions and aspects of portraits of Confucian anecdotes, this study will shed new light on how ancient artists reanimated the lives of great sages and how these artworks differ in their expressions and styles.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.66
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• pp.331-362
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• 2017

The paintings of the Eight Drunken Immortals refer to the paintings based on an influential poem called "The Song of the Eight Drunken Immortals" by Du Fu, a Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty. This poem is about the eccentricity of the Eight Immortals known for their love of drinking. The Eight Drunken Immortals have been widely appreciated among East Asian intellectuals, and their stories have also been translated into paintings. Greatly influenced by Li Gonglin's Painting of the Eight Drunken Immortals, people in China have the tendency to create similar scroll paintings, using contour drawing tools. Meanwhile, in Korea, the paintings of the Eight Drunken Immortals have been widely appreciated both as a type of visual art embodying the Drunken Immortals' taste for the arts and as a meaningful object conveying the people's wish for longevity and eternal friendship. According to historical records, the paintings of the Eight Drunken Immortals from the Ming Dynasty were drawn on eight-fold folding screens using a sophisticated ink wash painting technique. In the meantime, the Painting of the Eight Drunken Immortals appreciated by King Jeongjo from the Joseon Dynasty was a colored landscape painting with small human figures on an eight-fold folding screen. Since the recent discovery of Yi Han-cheol's Painting of the Eight Drunken Immortals on an eight-fold folding screen, it has now become possible to imagine how renowned artists such as Kim Hong-do and Kim Yang-gi would have made the narrative figure paintings. In particular, the story of Li Bai, one of the Eight Immortals, was the most famous one often told in the paintings. After the 19th century, there was even an entire panel of narrative folding screen made about Li Bai. As painting manuals and outline drawings were pervasively used, the narrative paintings on Li Bai were mass-produced among commoners. As you can see from this, the Eight Drunken Immortals have been visually represented as thirsty souls who are not disconnected from the world, as honest men of refined taste for the arts, and as protagonists of an object that conveys the people's wish for longevity and eternal friendship. In other words, the paintings of the Eight Drunken Immortals embody multiple undertones: as paintings based on Du Fu's poems and as narrative paintings on the Eight Immortals.

• KOMUNHWA
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• no.69
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• pp.91-111
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• 2007

This paper deals with the cultural and ideoligical background of the landscape designs on Joseon blue and white porcelains in the late Joseon period, and involves the government painters in the official kiln. Dongjeongchuwol-design (동정추월문), painted the full-moon night scene of Dongjeong lake on Jeseon blue and white porcelains, was in fashion in the late Joseon period. It didn't reflected the entirely realistic subject comparing to the painting circles at that time, but the principle and aesthetic appreciation of Royal family who leaded the official kiln. And Sansuinmul-design (산수인물화). painted the man of great caliber in the ancient history with mountain scenery, was similar to the painting manuals such as Gossihwabo (고씨화보) and Dangsihwabo (당시화보). It was a counterpart of Dongjeonchuwol-design on Joseon blue and white porcelains in the late Joseon period. These designs were painted into ogival-shaped frame (릉화창) on the blue and white porcelains in most cases, and adjusted to shape of porcelain. The landscape designs on Joseon blue and white porcelains became stereotyped, involving subjects of folk painting in the late 18th Century and the early 19th Century. This essay will be just a start to research into the landscape designs on blue and white porcelains in the late Joseon period, even though we seldom find works providing strict chronology among some works to the public.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.59
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• pp.405-428
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• 2015

Painting theorists in Song dynasty often spoke 'Li' when they talked about paintings. But 'Li' of the song dynasty is not limited to the 'ethics'. First, it includes visible 'natural's truth', such as the differences of 'geography' and 'physics' between the depicted objects. Second, it also includes 'common sense' which was based on both the observation and the thinking. The theorists thought if the 'common sense' was improper in the painting, the whole work was invalid. Thirdly, it also includes 'the reasonable sense in special situation', which requires great imagination ability and elaborative faculty. For example, when playing wind instruments and stringed instruments in the same time at the same concert, the painter should accurately draw the different gestures of musicians according to that the wind instrument is 'sound when the finger lift' and the stringed instrument is 'sound after the finger have left' in that moment. Fourthly, it includes 'art reason', theorists call it as 'ShenLi' or 'MiaoLi'. 'ShenLi' or 'MiaoLi' require the creator to join the spiritual concept besides his observation and thinking. For example, 'banana in snow' is neither observed available nor thought of available, but is the result of spiritual concept of creators for seeking everlasting. And at last, it certainly includes 'the principle of ethics'. Painters often highlighted the ethical relations of the feudal nation and the value of individual gentleman through the allegory story of figure painting and even the sudden composition in the landscape painting. 'Geography', 'physical', and 'common sense' are required the meticulous observation and the rational thinking for the painted object. And 'the reasonable sense in special situation', 'the art reason', 'the principle of ethics' are required enhancing painting style in the painting artistic conception and realm of life based on the nuanced observation, making 'technology' into the 'Tao'. This is the six reasonable increasing requirements for the painting work. Therefore, 'seeking the final reason' is the fundamental spirit of painting theory of Song Dynasty.