Subject: 양반, 兩班 scholar-official
Culture: Korean gentry
Setting: late Joseon dynasty, Korea 17-19thc
Event Photos
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Primary Sources
"The flourishing of genre paintings and the growing interest in the work and leisure activities of common people in the eighteenth century reflect the changing sociopolitical climate of the second half of the Joseon dynasty. A turning point in the Korean people’s perception of their own culture and that of their neighboring countries came with the fall of China’s Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Historically, China and Korea had always had very close political and cultural ties. With the Manchu conquest of China, Joseon officials and scholars began to question China’s role as the leader and center of civilization and to embark on explorations of things native to Korea. New schools of thought emerged. In philosophy, silhak (the Practical Learning School) called for the reexamination of land distribution policies, class differences, and the economy. The flourishing of cultural activity was not limited to the yangban, but also occurred in the lower classes. There was an increase in vernacular writing in hangeul (Korean alphabet) throughout the different classes of society. Genre painting and paintings depicting famous sites in Korea, known as jingyeong (“true-view”) landscape painting, experienced unprecedented popularity. These two painting types are frequently cited as evidence of the increasing emphasis on the development of a Korean cultural identity and are among the most celebrated artistic achievements of the late Joseon dynasty."
Secondary Sources
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Field Notes
