Portrait of a collector of objects in 18th-century Seoul

Conference by Daeyol KIM, University Professor, National Institute of Oriental Languages ​​and Civilizations (INALCO).

In some 18th-century paintings, notably those by Kim Hongdo 金弘道 (1745-1806), a painter at the Joseon court, presents a striking paradox: a passion for rare and expensive objects, particularly those imported from China, coupled with a pretense of detachment from worldly pursuits. This latter trait corresponds to one of the Confucian virtues, which advocates temperance, even sobriety, in the appreciation of material possessions. According to their lives as depicted in certain paintings and writings, painters and their patrons of the time sought to maintain the traditional image of Confucian scholars while simultaneously demonstrating their commitment to collecting extraordinary objects (especially antique or imported ones). This paradoxical attitude can be explained by the socio-cultural contexts of the period, namely: economic development and social differentiation, the weakening of the old ideology and intensified exchange with the new Qing China, and the emergence of a new socio-cultural reference point.