The King’s Excursion on a Royal Carriage

Section of The King’s Excursion on a Royal Carriage : Portrayal of the King

The King’s Excursion on a Royal Carriage is a royal documentary painting that illustrates the procession for Gojong’s royal excursion. At the head of the painting, the title Daehanjeguk Donggado Seokjisa indicates this piece to be the work of Chae Yong-shin, arguably the most renowned portrait painter of the period. However, discrepancies in the pen-strokes and inaccuracies in the depicted procession order, use of written characters, and the order of the painting covers have led to various interpretations as to the date of production and author of the painting. Directly portraying the king unlike in previous depictions of royal events, and using an aspect of Western painting by directly applying the brush instead of using colored engravings, The King’s Excursion on a Royal Carriage is a fascinating work that depicts the procession of Gojong’s royal excursion with a sense of gravitas and opulence.

Gojong makes four direct appearances from the mid-section of the scroll. His first appearance shows Gojong dressed in military attire as he is preceded by the eunuchs of Gyeomnaechwi, the ceremonial musical troupe; next, the scene is broken up and the second depiction of Gojong features him upon the royal open-top gama and dressed in gonryongpo, the dragon-imprinted royal robe, and the ikseongwan, a type of wide-brim hat worn by royalty. In the second depiction, Gojong is also accompanied by uima and eosukma, which are horses carrying items required by the procession. The subsequent two appearances depict Gojong riding the royal carriage with senior officials of the dangsang level.