• Lingua Humanitatis
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.141-157
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• 2001

In his discussion of some desirable tuning points in comparative literary studies, Henry H. H. Remark has emphasized the importance of literary approach to other forms of art. Understanding the significance of such a method of comparative literature, the present study focusses on three contemporary Korean poets who have transferred Mark Chagall′s paintings into their poetry: Youngtae Kim, Chunsoo Kim, and Sunghun Lee. They are usually evaluated as surrealist/modernist in our literary circles. In transforming Chagall′s paintings into his poems, Youngtae Kim has incorporated a variety of surrealist mosaic techniques such as montage and collage. The resultant peculiarity of his poetry makes it hard to lay bare the correspondence or similarities between his poetic world and the world of Chagall′s artistry. It is nonetheless possible to see how Kim, as a poet and painter, had interpreted Chagall′s world with a bird′s-eye view of it. Chunsoo Kim′s "Snow Falling on the Village of Chagall" relates specially to one of Chagall′s paintings, "I and My Village." The present study has taken notice of this correlation in sorting out some basic elements of poetic transfiguration. One of the techniques employed in the poem under discussion is that of juxtaposing the Russian village of Chagall and the Korean village the poet visualizes, with the effect of putting two national traditions in contrast. A reading of the poem reveals that it is not so much the result of a detailed analysis of the painting as a revival of its lingering impression as a whole. In Sunghun Lee′s poetry, surrealist techniques are again a hallmark. But his method of transferring the images of the paintings into his poems falls somewhere between those of Youngtae Kim′s and Chunsoo Kim′s: it is akin to the ′bird′s-eye method′ of the former and shares the impressionistic touch with the latter, but at the same time Lee is analytical by disposition and opts for concrete descriptions. ′Love,′ ′farm,′ and ′time′ are the keywords that are brought under discussion in the present study. There is a growing demand in the current international comparative literary studies for broadening the area of comparative literature. This study hopes to be a small contribution to endorsing the importance of comparative approach to fine arts.

• Journal of architectural history
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.81-94
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• 2023

Haeju was home to the Hwanghae-do Provincial Office and a hub for supporting the northwestern regions of Korea. Local commerce expanded in Haeju during the late Joseon period based on its abundant resources and regional products, leading it to evolve into a large city. King Seonjo temporarily resided in Haeju while seeking refuge from the Japanese Invasions of Korea, and Yi Yi (sobriquet: Yulgok) secluded himself in Seokdam in Haeju in his later years. King Seonjo's residence in Haeju and Yi Yi's retirement there boosted interest in the city among the literati and influenced its places of scenic beauty. The development of its local history and literary achievements were documented in a wide variety of historical records and visual materials. Eight scenic views in Haeju became famous through a poem written by Seong Su-ik in the late sixteenth century. Around the mid-eighteenth century, eight new scenic views became popular. Local officials and travelers from other regions produced a vast body of prose and poetry focusing on the landscape and society of Haeju, playing a crucial role in raising awareness of its scenic attractions. Most surviving visual materials related to Haeju were created in and after the nineteenth century. Many of them illustrate both landscapes and the everyday lives of people. Among them, paintings of scenic spots created by Jeong Seon (sobriquet: Gyeomjae), who never actually visited Haeju in person, raises some of the issues posed by relying on indirect materials. In contrast, Eight Scenic Views of Haeju, which is presumed to have been produced by a local painter, appears to have accurately highlighted the characteristics of each scenic spot. Moreover, Haejudo, a folding screen presenting a panoramic view of Haeju, incorporates content from paintings depicting eight scenic views, in this case Eight Scenic views of Haeju. This practice can be observed in visual materials of other provincial cities.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.279-286
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• 2019

Jo, Hee-ryong(1789-1866), who was given the title of "boss of the world handling a China inkt" in the late Joseon Dynasty, was from a noble family, but he claimed to be a yeohang-in himself. The byeoggyesa was formed based on Jong-in and they are engaged in literary activities. Hee-ryong Jo, "I do not follow people's back" is the art spirit of my life. The theory of the Holy Spirit has inspired emotion or inspiration as the essence of art. He pursued original aesthetics of painting with the true nature and personality as important. During his early 60s, the period of banishment for about three years had a profound impact on the identity and direction of his art world. During this period, he wrote four volumes, including "Hwaguamlanmug", "Uhaeagamgo", "Sugyeongjaehaeoejeogdog", "Hanwaheonjehwajabjon" and among his paintings with 19 paintings, eight paintings were produced, including "Hwangsannaengundo", "Bangunlimsansudo", "Maehwaseoogdo". These works reveal the Playful sokmi sprit, the grotesque of manual dexterity, and the aesthetic of painting through the natural divergence of natural nature.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.96
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• pp.89-122
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• 2019

In this paper, I argue that the Handscroll of a Sightseeing Trip to the Hangang and Imjingang Rivers by Jeong Su-yeong (1743~1831, pseudonym: Jiwujae) is a record of his private journeys to several places on the outskirts of Hanyang (present-day Seoul) and that it successfully embodies the painter's subjective perspective while boating on these rivers and going on outings to nearby mountains. Around 1796, Jeong Su-yeong traveled to different places and documented his travels in this 16-meter-long handscroll. Several leaves of paper, each of which depicts a separate landscape, are pieced together to create this long handscroll. This indicates that the Handscroll of a Sightseeing Trip to the Hangang and Imjingang Rivers reflected the painter's personal subjective experiences as he went along his journey rather than simply depicts travel destinations. The Handscroll of a Sightseeing Trip to the Hangang and Imjingang Rivers features two types of travel: boating and mountain outings on foot. Traveling by boat takes up a large portion of the handscroll, which illustrates the channels of the Hangang and Imjingang Rivers. Mountain outings correspond to the sections describing the regions around Bukhansan, Gwanaksan, and Dobongsan Mountains. Jeong Su-yeong traveled to this wide span of places not just once, but several times. The fact that the Hangang River system are not presented in accordance with their actual locations shows that they were illustrated at different points. After visiting the riversides of the Hangang and Namhangang Rivers twice, Jeong Su-yeong delineated them in fourteen scenes. Among them, the first eight illustrate Jeong's initial trip by boat, while the other six scenes are vistas from his second trip. These fourteen scenes occupy half of this handscroll, indicating that the regions near the Hangang River are painted most frequently. The scenes of Jeong Su-yeong's first boating trip to the system of the Hangang River portray the landscapes that he personally witnessed rather than famous scenes. Some of the eight scenic views of Yeoju, including Yongmunsan Mountain, Cheongsimru Pavilion, and Silleuksa Temple, are included in this handscroll. However, Jeong noted spots that were not often painted and depicted them using an eye-level perspective uncommon for illustrating famous scenic locations. The scenes of Jeong's second boating trip include his friend's villa and a meeting with companions. Moreover, Cheongsimru Pavilion and Silleuksa Temple, which are depicted in the first boating trip, are illustrated again from different perspectives and in unique compositions. Jeong Su-yeong examined the same locations several times from different angles. A sense of realism is demonstrated in the scenes of Jeong's first and second boating trips to the channels of the Hangang River, which depict actual roads. Furthermore, viewers can easily follow the level gaze of Jeong from the boat. The scenes depicting the Imjingang River begin from spots near the Yeongpyeongcheon and Hantangang Rivers and end with places along the waterways of the Imjingang River. Here, diverse perspectives were applied, which is characteristic of Imjingang River scenes. Jeong Su-yeong employed a bird's-eye perspective to illustrate the flow of a waterway starting from the Yeongpyeongcheon River. He also used an eye-level perspective to highlight the rocks of Baegundam Pool. Thus, depending on what he wished to emphasize, Jeong applied different perspectives. Hwajeogyeon Pond located by the Hantangang River is illustrated from a bird's-eye perspective to present a panoramic view of the surroundings and rocks. Similarly, the scenery around Uhwajeong Pavilion by the Imjingang River are depicted from the same perspective. A worm's-eye view was selected for Samseongdae Cliff in Tosangun in the upper regions of the Imjingang River and for Nakhwaam Rock. The scenes of Jeong Su-yeong's mountain outings include pavilions and small temple mainly. In the case of Jaeganjeong Pavilion on Bukhansan Mountain, its actual location remains unidentified since the pavilion did not lead to the route of the boating trip to the system of the Hangang River and was separately depicted from other trips to the mountains. I speculate that Jaeganjeong Pavilion refers to a pavilion either in one of the nine valleys in Wooyi-dong at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain or in Songajang Villa. Since these two pavilions are situated in the valleys of Bukhansan Mountain, their descriptions in written texts are similar. As for Gwanaksan Mountain, Chwihyangjeong and Ilganjeong Pavilions as well as Geomjisan Mountain in the Bukhansan Mountain range are depicted. Ilganjeong Pavilion was a well-known site on Gwanaksan that belonged to Shin Wi. In this handscroll, however, Jeong Su-yeong recorded objective geographic information on the pavilion rather than relating it to Shin Wi. "Chwihyangjeong Pavilion" is presented within the walls, while "Geomjisan Mountain" is illustrated outside the walls. Handscroll of a Sightseeing Trip to the Hangang and Imjingang Rivers also includes two small temples, Mangwolam and Okcheonam, on Dobongsan Mountain. The actual locations of these are unknown today. Nevertheless, Gungojip (Anthology of Gungo) by Yim Cheonsang relates that they were sited on Dobongsan Mountain. Compared to other painters who stressed Dobong Seowon (a private Confucian academy) and Manjangbong Peak when depicting Dobongsan Mountain, Jeong Su-yeong highlighted these two small temples. Jeong placed Yeongsanjeon Hall and Cheonbong Stele in "Mangwolam small temple" and Daeungjeon Hall in front of "Okcheonam small temple." In addition to the buildings of the small temple, Jeong drew the peaks of Dobongsan Mountain without inscribing their names, which indicates that he intended the Dobongsan peaks as a background for the scenery. The Handscroll of a Sightseeing Trip to the Hangang and Imjingang Rivers is of great significance in that it embodies Jeong Su-yeong's personal perceptions of scenic spots on the outskirts of Hanyang and records his trips to these places.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.79-97
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• 2008

Four Wangs' landscape style (四王山水畵風), which had appeared in Beijing in the early 18th century, widely spread to Korea and Japan in the 19th century and became a significant basis for developing new painting styles in both countries. It was first introduced to Korea by Shin Wi (申緯) and Kim Jeong-hee (金正喜) who associated with literary men of the Qing Dynasty. Being influenced by them directly or indirectly, Shin Myeong-yeon (申命淵), Yi Han-cheol (李漢喆), Yu Suk (劉淑), Changv Seung-eop (張承業), An Choog-sik (安中植), and Jo Seok-jin (趙錫晋) attempted to adapt Four Wangs' landscape style and it later became a main Stream painting style of the Korean painting circles. Based on Four Wangs' landscape style, their landscape paintings had something in common in that they captured natural features from a short distance using the Down-Up prospective and placed guardian mountains across mountain streams by making a tall tree in the right or left bottom of the canvas as the starting point. However, recently unveiled court painter An Geon-yeong (1841~1876)'s the Landscape Screen is remarkable in that it is based on Four Wangs' style, which was in fashion in the late 19th century, but shows different aspects from other Four Wangs' style paintings in terms of feature capturing, brush stroke and colors. While most of An Geon-yeong's existing paintings are small ones, this folding screen is a big piece consisting of six-fold landscape paintings. In particular, it shows new aspects by creating a serene and calm atmosphere through the description of various landscape scenes with thin brush strokes using glossy ink, by showing a macroscopic view in some paintings through feature capture using a birds-eye view method, and by giving life to the canvas through smoke and clouds. This painting style is considered to be linked with those of Wang Xue-hao (王學浩, 1754~1832), Tang Yifen (湯貽汾, 1778~1853) and Dai Xi (戴熙, 1801~1860), based on Four Wangs' style in the early 19th century's Jiangnan Circle (江南 畵壇), who tried to express the energy and vitality of real landscapes by going around China's well-known mountains and complementing painting styles with drawing from nature. Therefore, An Geon-yeong's six-fold Landscape Screen is very significant as a rare case proving the introduction and reception of Jiangnan Circle's Four Wangs' landscape style which was different in many aspects from Beijing Circle in the 19th century.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.96
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• pp.123-154
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• 2019

Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain is a ten-panel folding screen with images and postscripts. Commissioned by Bak Gyeong-bin (dates unknown), this screen was painted by Jo Jung-muk (1820-after 1894) in 1868. The postscripts were written by Hong Seon-ju (dates unknown). The National Museum of Korea restored this painting, which had been housed in the museum on separate sheets, to its original folding screen format. The museum also opened the screen to the public for the first time at the special exhibition Through the Eyes of Joseon Painters: Real Scenery Landscapes of Korea held from July 23 to September 22, 2019. Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain depicts real scenery on the western slopes of Inwangsan Mountain spanning present-day Hongje-dong and Hongeun-dong in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. In the distance, the Bukhansan Mountain ridges are illustrated. The painting also bears place names, including Inwangsan Mountain, Chumohyeon Hill, Hongjewon Inn, Samgaksan Mountain, Daenammun Gate, and Mireukdang Hall. The names and depictions of these places show similarities to those found on late Joseon maps. Jo Jung-muk is thought to have studied the geographical information marked on maps so as to illustrate a broad landscape in this painting. Field trips to the real scenery depicted in the painting have revealed that Jo exaggerated or omitted natural features and blended and arranged them into a row for the purposes of the horizontal picture plane. Jo Jung-muk was a painter proficient at drawing conventional landscapes in the style of the Southern School of Chinese painting. Details in Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain reflect the painting style of the School of Four Wangs. Jo also applied a more decorative style to some areas. The nineteenth-century court painters of the Dohwaseo(Royal Bureau of Painting), including Jo, employed such decorative painting styles by drawing houses based on painting manuals, applying dots formed like sprinkled black pepper to depict mounds of earth and illustrating flowers by dotted thick pigment. Moreover, Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain shows the individualistic style of Jeong Seon(1676~1759) in the rocks drawn with sweeping brushstrokes in dark ink, the massiveness of the mountain terrain, and the pine trees simply depicted using horizontal brushstrokes. Jo Jung-muk is presumed to have borrowed the authority and styles of Jeong Seon, who was well-known for his real scenery landscapes of Inwangsan Mountain. Nonetheless, the painting lacks an spontaneous sense of space and fails in conveying an impression of actual sites. Additionally, the excessively grand screen does not allow Jo Jung-muk to fully express his own style. In Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain, the texts of the postscripts nicely correspond to the images depicted. Their contents can be divided into six parts: (1) the occupant of the tomb and the reason for its relocation; (2) the location and geomancy of the tomb; (3) memorial services held at the tomb and mysterious responses received during the memorial services; (4) cooperation among villagers to manage the tomb; (5) the filial piety of Bak Gyeong-bin, who commissioned the painting and guarded the tomb; and (6) significance of the postscripts. The second part in particular is faithfully depicted in the painting since it can easily be visualized. According to the fifth part revealing the motive for the production of the painting, the commissioner Bak Gyeongbin was satisfied with the painting, stating that "it appears impeccable and is just as if the tomb were newly built." The composition of the natural features in a row as if explaining each one lacks painterly beauty, but it does succeed in providing information on the geomantic topography of the gravesite. A fair number of the existing depictions of gravesites are woodblock prints of family gravesites produced after the eighteenth century. Most of these are included in genealogical records and anthologies. According to sixteenth- and seventeenth-century historical records, hanging scrolls of family gravesites served as objects of worship. Bowing in front of these paintings was considered a substitute ritual when descendants could not physically be present to maintain their parents' or other ancestors' tombs. Han Hyo-won (1468-1534) and Jo Sil-gul (1591-1658) commissioned the production of family burial ground paintings and asked distinguished figures of the time to write a preface for the paintings, thus showing off their filial piety. Such examples are considered precedents for Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain. Hermitage of the Recluse Seokjeong in a private collection and Old Villa in Hwagae County at the National Museum of Korea are not paintings of family gravesites. However, they serve as references for seventeenth-century paintings depicting family gravesites in that they are hanging scrolls in the style of the paintings of literary gatherings and they illustrate geomancy. As an object of worship, Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain recalls a portrait. As indicated in the postscripts, the painting made Bak Gyeong-bin "feel like hearing his father's cough and seeing his attitudes and behaviors with my eyes." The fable of Xu Xiaosu, who gazed at the portrait of his father day and night, is reflected in this gravesite painting evoking a deceased parent. It is still unclear why Bak Gyeong-bin commissioned Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain to be produced as a real scenery landscape in the folding screen format rather than a hanging scroll or woodblock print, the conventional formats for a family gravesite paintings. In the nineteenth century, commoners came to produce numerous folding screens for use during the four rites of coming of age, marriage, burial, and ancestral rituals. However, they did not always use the screens in accordance with the nature of these rites. In the Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain, the real scenery landscape appears to have been emphasized more than the image of the gravesite in order to allow the screen to be applied during different rituals or for use to decorate space. The burial mound, which should be the essence of Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain, might have been obscured in order to hide its violation of the prohibition on the construction of tombs on the four mountains around the capital. At the western foot of Inwangsan Mountain, which was illustrated in this painting, the construction of tombs was forbidden. In 1832, a tomb discovered illegally built on the forbidden area was immediately dug up and the related people were severely punished. This indicates that the prohibition was effective until the mid-nineteenth century. The postscripts on the Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain document in detail Bak Gyeong-bin's efforts to obtain the land as a burial site. The help and connivance of villagers were necessary to use the burial site, probably because constructing tombs within the prohibited area was a burden on the family and villagers. Seokpajeong Pavilion by Yi Han-cheol (1808~1880), currently housed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is another real scenery landscape in the format of a folding screen that is contemporaneous and comparable with Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain. In 1861 when Seokpajeong Pavilion was created, both Yi Han-cheol and Jo Jung-muk participated in the production of a portrait of King Cheoljong. Thus, it is highly probable that Jo Jung-muk may have observed the painting process of Yi's Seokpajeong Pavilion. A few years later, when Jo Jungmuk was commissioned to produce Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain, his experience with the impressive real scenery landscape of the Seokpajeong Pavilion screen could have been reflected in his work. The difference in the painting style between these two paintings is presumed to be a result of the tastes and purposes of the commissioners. Since Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain contains the multilayered structure of a real scenery landscape and family gravesite, it seems to have been perceived in myriad different ways depending on the viewer's level of knowledge, closeness to the commissioner, or viewing time. In the postscripts to the painting, the name and nickname of the tomb occupant as well as the place of his surname are not recorded. He is simply referred to as "Mister Bak." Biographical information about the commissioner Bak Gyeong-bin is also unavailable. However, given that his family did not enter government service, he is thought to have been a person of low standing who could not become a member of the ruling elite despite financial wherewithal. Moreover, it is hard to perceive Hong Seon-ju, who wrote the postscripts, as a member of the nobility. He might have been a low-level administrative official who belonged to the Gyeongajeon, as documented in the Seungjeongwon ilgi (Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of the Joseon Dynasty). Bak Gyeong-bin is presumed to have moved the tomb of his father to a propitious site and commissioned Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain to stress his filial piety, a conservative value, out of his desire to enter the upper class. However, Ancestral Burial Ground on the Inwangsan Mountain failed to live up to its original purpose and ended up as a contradictory image due to its multiple applications and the concern over the exposure of the violation of the prohibition on the construction of tombs on the prohibited area. Forty-seven years after its production, this screen became a part of the collection at the Royal Yi Household Museum with each panel being separated. This suggests that Bak Gyeong-bin's dream of bringing fortune and raising his family's social status by selecting a propitious gravesite did not come true.