The Funeral Procession of Empress Myeongseong

Section of The Funeral Procession of Empress Myeongseong : Sinyeon, Bongyeo

This painting depicts the funerary procession of Empress Myeongseong in 1897, and is speculated to be a piece commissioned in the process of correcting procedural mistakes through the supervision of relevant officials in order to prevent such mistakes during the actual event. The state funeral of Empress Myeongseong was a significant event through which the Great Han declared itself to the world as an imperial power and an independent nation-state, and this picture illustrates the preparations and considerations behind this occasion.

Upon his ascent to the throne, Gojong elevated the queen to the position of empress, and decreed the color of all ceremonial goods to be changed to gold. In order to befit the station of the empress, new ceremonial goods were produced, such as the royal sedan chair. The new ceremonial goods may have been designed to emulate those featured in the Hwangjoyegidosik, which was completed in 1759, the 24th year in the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.