Gyehoedo of the Joseon Period (1392-1910) refers to the paintings made to commemorate the social gatherings of the senior scholar-statesmen and to keep them for the future generations. The paintings were generally attached with some formal texts related with the gatherings. This study focuses on the origin, history, background and types of the paintings through a close examination of the related texts. It takes ten overseas paintings and three wood blocks or copies for detailed discussion.
The practice of having social gatherings of the ruling class was established during the mid Goryeo Period. In the late Goryeo Period, it developed various forms of gatherings, of the same age groups, ranks, and organizations. Depicting the gatherings traces back to those in Haedong Girodo and Wonam Yeonjipdo made in the late Goryeo. The tradition was inherited to the Joseon Dynasty by a group of Neo-Confucian scholar-statesmen and institutionalized during the 15th century through the publications such as Donggwan Gyehoedo. It reached at the zenith during the first half of the 16th century, and remainedpopular until the second half of the century.
There are currently 50 Gyehoedos of which ten are in the outside of Korea, and three are wood blocked or copied in the old Japanese documents. Of the ten paintings outside Korea, two are in the USA, out-flowed from Japan. These paintings are regarded as significant in the Korean art history.
The earliest remaining Gyehoedo, Donggung Chaekbong Dogam Gyehoedo (1557) exhibits the characteristic composition elements of Myeongdangdo, and the Korea’s first remaining scene capturing the association meeting held at a tent in the open area. Meanwhile, Munjeongwanghu Salleungdogam Gyehoedo (1565), the remaining first work to contain Gyemun rather than Jesi, can be an important source on the Gyehoedos of early Joseon. Dokseodang Gyehoedo (1531) is the first of its kind made under the influence of the Silgyeong Sansu and one of several Dongho Gyehoedo along with Saongwon Gyehoedo (1540) and Gyehoedo (late 16th century). The printed version of Hanseongbu Nanggwan Gyechuk (1533) is the earliest remaining example after the style of An Gyeon, in its background landscape. Along with Gyehoedo (1554), Hagwan Gyehoedo (1560) and Gyehoedo (1574), it contains the inscription of the year, offering important clues about the changes of the style. Seonjeonnyo Ujunghoe Gwanseodo (1576) is the earliest remaining painting capturing the “real landscapes” outside the capital and marked by brush strokes influenced from the Zhe School while Donggyeong Gyehoedo (1551) is the only remaining example of its kind(representing the gathering of the same age members) produced during the 16th century. The paintings exhibited at the gathering venues depicted in these paintings are important sources to know the taste of art lovers of the periods. Finally, Gwana Huwon Gyehoedo copied by Tani Buncho’s School of the late Edo Era has unique style, in which Baegaksan Mountain is located on the upper middle area to show the “ancestral mountain”.