Sinhaesaeng gaphoejido (Gathering of Elders of the Same Age)

This is a painting depicting the birthday celebration of three men born in the same year, the sinhae year (1551), the sixth year of King Myeongjong. Measuring 57.0 cm wide and 88.9 cm high, the painting is divided overall into three registers: upper, middle and lower. The upper register bears the title 'Sinhaesaeng gaphoejido' (辛亥生甲會之圖), while the middle register depicts nine figures – the three principal subjects along with guests and attendants – set against a backdrop of outstanding natural scenery. The lower register records the official posts, names and clan seats of the three participants in the gathering, Yi Dae-gi, Jeong In-jun and Hong Sun, together with an account of the gathering and reflections on it. The gathering scene in the middle register is rendered using danseonjeomjun, a technique of short lines and dots, characteristic of the An Gyeon school of painting that was popular in the early sixteenth century, and shows strong contrasts of black and white. The figures are depicted small, with emphasis placed on the depiction of nature, so that although the work dates from the seventeenth century, it strongly reflects the painting style of the sixteenth century. Painted in 1626, the fourth year of King Injo, this work has the character of a genre painting portraying a scene from literati life, and it helps us understand an aspect of the lives of the yangban of the time. Because its date of production is also clearly established, it is a very important resource for the study of the history of Korean painting.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물