March 17 - June 21, 2009
Worship and Paradise
One of the central tenets of the Joseon dynasty was the strict authority of Neo-Confucian ideology coupled with the aggressive rejection of Buddhism. In private, however, many monarchs either followed Buddhist practices themselves or tolerated them among their family and court advisers. King Sejong, for example, like his older brother, Hyoryeong, sponsored Buddhist projects; Sejong underwrote the restoration of the Heungcheon Temple and the printing of a number of significant Buddhist texts. In his late years, he became a devout Buddhist, perhaps as a way to find peace amid his children's illnesses and his own failing health. A number of other prominent members of the royal family during the early Joseon, especially women, were active patrons of Buddhist art and other projects. The dowager queen Munjeong (d. 1565) was perhaps the most influential supporter of Buddhism during the early Joseon. Indeed, she lifted the official ban on Buddhist worship and instigated an impressive resurgence of Buddhist art production.
The exceptionally high quality of the Buddhist art included in this exhibition demonstrates that Buddhism remained an enduring part of the culture in the early Joseon period.
Palace Scene, mid-16th century
Framed painting; ink and color on silk; 18 5/16 x 35 15/16 in. (46.5 x 91.4 cm)
Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul
Very little original architecture from the early Joseon period survives. Most palaces and temples, made of wood, have been reconstructed numerous times following their destruction by natural disaster or war. This painting illustrating the palace compound offers a rare glimpse into both the architecture of the time and daily life within the royal court. The composition employs parallel diagonals and horizontals, along which the buildings are aligned. Unlike the Western practice of perspective, which creates the illusion of recession, here the picture plane is tilted so that the background and foreground elements are the same size and equally clearly articulated. The figures engaged in various activities of daily life both inside and outside the palace compound provide an engaging collection of genre scenes within the larger picture. Of particular note within the palace compound are the large Buddhist halls at the top center of the painting, with a view of Buddhist icons in one and monks dancing to the beat of a drum in the other. This work may date to the mid-sixteenth century, during the time of the dowager queen Munjeong, who promoted a revival of Buddhism and Buddhist activities.