Busan Museum, Exhibition of 'Jinjuseongdo (Map of Jinju Fortress)'

The 1st New Handicraft Exhibition to be Held from the 18th to June 14th

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Yoseop] The Busan Museum is holding the first exhibition of this year’s “Newly Acquired Artifacts (新收遺物) Introduction Exhibition,” which has been held three times annually since 2010, from the 18th to June 14th at the Art Room on the 2nd floor of the Busan Museum.

According to Busan City on the 14th, the “Newly Acquired Artifacts Introduction Exhibition” showcases artifacts that the Busan Museum has received as donations or purchased, as well as artifacts that have completed preservation treatment but have not yet been publicly displayed. The featured artifact is a 10-panel folding screen titled “Jinju Fortress Map (晉州城圖).”

During the reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo in the 18th century, the genre of true-view landscape painting and pictorial maps expanded, and by the 19th century, a new type of folding screen combining elements of landscape painting, genre painting, documentary painting, and maps on a single screen became popular. Many fortress maps depicting panoramic views of specific regions such as Hanyang, Pyongyang, Jinju, and Tongyeong were created.

Currently, over 20 Jinju Fortress Maps are known, most of which were made as folding screens. Based on estimated production periods, all existing Jinju Fortress Maps were painted after the late 18th century. Notably, the Jinju Fortress Map at the Busan Museum does not have the names of facilities labeled, so by comparing the shape of the fortress and the arrangement of facilities with other similar Jinju Fortress Maps, its date is estimated to be from the 1830s. This folding screen, with a width of 432 cm, is considered a masterpiece among Jinju Fortress Maps.

The Jinju Fortress Map depicts a summer scene with lotus flowers in full bloom at Daesa Pond (大寺池) north of the fortress. It also portrays a person fishing on the embankment of Daesa Pond, farmers weeding in the fields east and west outside the fortress, women washing clothes by the Namgang River, fishing boats on the river, and boats carrying firewood jars, thus embodying the characteristics of a seasonal customs painting.

The exhibition runs from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding Mondays and designated closed days. On Fridays and Saturdays, visitors can view the exhibition until 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Jinjuseong Fortress panorama. (Photo by Busan City Hall)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.