Hunting Scene

1800s

Hunting Scene, 1800s. Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Eight-fold screen, ink and color on silk; overall: 214.6 x 345.4 cm (84 1/2 x 136 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Leighton R. and Rosemarie Longhi 1993.239 The theme of nomad warriors' riding horses and hunting wild animals was first painted in the Qing imperial court in China in late 1600s. But it became favored by the Korean royal court and painted by the royal court painter in the late 1700s. The Joseon Korean ruling class members considered Qing nomad warriors to be "barbaric," yet highly admired their hunting and military skills. By the late 1800s, folding screens with the hunting scene were used largely for this dynamic and exotic feature. The theme of nomad warriors' hunting became highly appreciated in 18th-century Korean royal court for the king's particular interests in strengthening the royal army's military prowess.