The social and economic rise of the chungin class (“middle people” who ranked between the yangban aristocracy and commoners) during the late Chosŏn period (1700–1910) ushered in a world of materialism and commodification of painting and other art objects. Generally overlooked in art history, the chungin contributed to a flourishing art market, especially for ch’aekkori, a new form of still life painting that experimented with Western perspective and illusionism, and a reimagined style of the traditional plum blossom painting genre.

Sunglim Kim examines chungin artists and patronage of the visual arts, and their commercial transactions, artistic exchange with China and Japan, and historical writings on art. She also explores the key role of men of chungin background in preserving Korean art heritage in the tumultuous twentieth century, including the work of the modern Korean collector and historian O Se-ch’ang, who memorialized many chungin painters and calligraphers.

Revealing a vivid picture of a complex art world,Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets presents a major reconsideration of late Chosŏn society and its material culture. Lushly illustrated, it will appeal to scholars of Korea and East Asia, art history, visual culture, and social history.

A William Sangki and Nanhee Min Hahn Book

Art History Publication Initiative. For more information, visit http://arthistorypi.org/books/flowering-plums-and-curio-cabinets

"[A] model of scholarship...opens new insights..offering fresh and exciting readings."

"Kim’s scholarship makes an important addition to understandings of late Chosǒn arts and culture and is a must-read volume for students and researchers alike."

"[C]omprehensive analyses of the late Chosŏn dynasty...Kim's Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets boldly presents the academic possibility that the artworks and cultural objects of late Chosŏn Korea can be examined through visual and cultural studies."

"Richly detailed, comprehensively resourced, and meticulously researched . . . call[s] into question existing narratives on Chosŏn painting by reading artworks in consideration of their collective agency and their roles in negotiating values, taste, and status at a critical historical juncture. [Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets] will hence contribute significantly to the literature and ultimately enrich scholarly discussion of early modernity in East Asia."

"Deeply researched and written in a scholarly but engaging style, the book breaks new ground in Korean art history, counteracting the dominant role of the yangban in earlier studies. Kim's book is a welcome addition to recent monographs and exhibition catalogues on Korean art history."