Research Article
Sites Where the Gaze of Record Lingered: Visual Representations of Anyang’s Historical Sites in Samsŏnggi-yuch’ŏp
Chief Curator, Anyang Museum
Published: March 2026 · No. 329 · pp. 41-76
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31065/kjah.329.202603.002
Full Text
Abstract
This study examines the patterns of suburban excursions and landscape perception in the Anyang area during the early nineteenth century through Samsŏnggi-yuch’ŏp (三聖記遊帖), a late Chosŏn literati painting album newly acquired and first made public by the Anyang Museum in 2024. While previous research on late Chosŏn excursion culture has primarily focused on nationally renowned scenic sites such as Mt. Kŭmgang and the Kwandong P’algyŏng, less attention has been given to the everyday and frequently visited excursion spaces near Hanyang. In this context, Samsŏnggi-yuch’ŏp is particularly significant as it documents a collective excursion by a group of literati led by Unch’o Pak Chi-su in 1826, combining poetry, calligraphy, and painting into a single album.
Completed in 1828, the album reflects both personal and collective experiences. This study analyzes the album’s preface by Cho Chong-jin, its title, and the composition of its pictorial elements to elucidate its production context and character. Furthermore, it examines the participating individuals, their travel routes, and the ways in which the local landscapes and historical sites of Anyang were visually represented. By doing so, the album is interpreted not merely as a personal travel record but as a visual archive capturing the shared experiences and spatial perceptions of a literati group.
The findings highlight that late Chosŏn excursion culture was not confined to nationally famous sites, but also unfolded in the context of everyday, local landscapes, with realistic and detailed perceptions. The album thus provides valuable evidence of how literati engaged with and represented their immediate surroundings. Moreover, as the album has been first studied in the context of a regional museum collection, this research demonstrates the potential for expanding studies of excursion culture using locally held cultural heritage materials. Ultimately, Samsŏnggi-yuch’ŏp exemplifies how collaborative practices among literati artists contributed to constructing visual and literary records of collective memory and spatial awareness in the late Chosŏn period.
Completed in 1828, the album reflects both personal and collective experiences. This study analyzes the album’s preface by Cho Chong-jin, its title, and the composition of its pictorial elements to elucidate its production context and character. Furthermore, it examines the participating individuals, their travel routes, and the ways in which the local landscapes and historical sites of Anyang were visually represented. By doing so, the album is interpreted not merely as a personal travel record but as a visual archive capturing the shared experiences and spatial perceptions of a literati group.
The findings highlight that late Chosŏn excursion culture was not confined to nationally famous sites, but also unfolded in the context of everyday, local landscapes, with realistic and detailed perceptions. The album thus provides valuable evidence of how literati engaged with and represented their immediate surroundings. Moreover, as the album has been first studied in the context of a regional museum collection, this research demonstrates the potential for expanding studies of excursion culture using locally held cultural heritage materials. Ultimately, Samsŏnggi-yuch’ŏp exemplifies how collaborative practices among literati artists contributed to constructing visual and literary records of collective memory and spatial awareness in the late Chosŏn period.