Jeonju jido (Map of Jeonju)

A map of Jeonju, the ancestral hometown (gwanhyang) of King Taejo, Yi Seong-gye, drawn in the late Joseon period. It is a leading example of a pictorial map, depicting the walled town of Jeonju-bu, the surrounding mountains, and the government buildings within in a landscape-painting style. The whole of Jeonju's town wall is rendered in bird's-eye perspective and placed at the centre of the composition, with a chain of peaks drawn around it. Inside the walled town are depicted the provincial government office buildings, including Seonhwadang, the governor's hall, along with the Bon-gwan, where the magistrate (buyun) conducted official business, and the Guest House. Also given prominence is Gyeonggijeon Shrine, the portrait hall (jinjeon) enshrining King Taejo's portrait; at the time depicted, Jogyeongmyo Shrine had not yet been built, and in its place trees grow thickly with a flock of egrets perched among them, an image expressing auspiciousness. Houses and buildings are rendered meticulously in rather pale ink lines. The private houses crowded densely inside and outside the wall, figures that appear to be the procession of the provincial governor (gamsa) and his entourage, and the trees, birds and fully-blooming peach blossoms around the shrine are all vividly depicted, conveying the atmosphere of a bright spring day. The overall composition and brushwork are refined and of high artistic quality, and the descriptive skill is outstanding, suggesting that it was painted by a court painter of the central painting academy. It is one of the finest examples among surviving pictorial maps.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gwanak-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물