Political Implications of Court Art Under King Jeongjo: Aesthetics and Production of King Jeongjo's Visit to Hwaseong

Abstract

This article provides a detailed analysis of the screen painting King Jeongjo's Visit to Hwaseong, elucidating how King Jeongjo strategically used the screen's aesthetics, production, and distribution to promote his political agenda. To emphasize the king's intended meaning the article divides the screen into two halves: panels 1-4, which feature traditional two-dimensional depictions of events, and panels 5-8, which employ less conventional viewpoints, including a bird's-eye view and one-point perspective. These different perspectives directly reflect the intended themes of the respective panels: the Confucian concept of rulership (panels 1-4), and the art of innovative governance (panels 5-8). To highlight the political motivations involved in the production and distribution of the screen, the article outlines the specific process for painting the screen-from the king's instructions to the artists' execution-and describes the intended viewers and their reactions. In addition to the screen, the article also examines related visual materials that were produced and distributed within the same context.