Six Murals from Changdeokgung Palace on Display Together:
the Final Examples of Royal Palace Painting, Produced by Dedicated Artists
(May 27-31)
- Respectfully Portrayed Murals at Changdeokgung Palace, held in cerebration of the National Palace Museum of Korea’s 20th anniversary, runs Aug. 14- Oct. 12. -
The National Palace Museum of Korea (Director Jeong Yong-jae), which is affiliated with the Korea Heritage Service, will host Respectfully Portrayed Murals at Changdeokgung Palacefrom August 14 through October 12 in the Special Exhibition Gallery on the second floor of the museum (in Jongno-gu, Seoul). This exhibition, held in celebration of the museum’s 20th anniversary, will showcase for the first time all six murals that formerly adorned the walls inside the three halls that made up the residential quarters within the Changdeokgung Palace compound, namely Huijeongdang, Daejojeon, and Gyeonghungak, as well as a draft sketch made in advance of the mural painting work.
The six murals on display at this special exhibition are monumental works, each up to nine meters wide. They represent an unprecedented and commemorative example of Korean royal court painting in its final phase. These artworks were created in 1920 to decorate three Changdeokgung halls that had been rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in 1917. At the time, former Emperor Sunjong (1874–1926, r. 1907–10), who had abdicated the throne, and former Empress Sunjeong (1894–1966) were residing on the palace grounds.
Rather than being painted directly onto the walls, these murals were executed on silk, then mounted on paper, and affixed to the upper section of the wall above the door separating the rooms inside the hall—a genre known as bubyeokhwa (附壁畫), or “attached wall painting.” The principal structures of inner palace area that were reconstructed at this time—Huijeongdang, Daejojeon, and Gyeonghungak—were built with traditional Korean architectural exteriors, yet featured Western-style amenities and interior decoration. These grand-scale murals, filling the upper east and west walls of the main room inside each hall gave the space an added touch of both majesty and beauty.
The six murals were produced by artists who would go on to become leading figures in Korea’s contemporary painting circles. The works reflect the traditional court painting style of elaborate blue-and-green landscapes but they also exhibit modern traits not typically found in royal court paintings of the Joseon period. Notably, the artists inscribed their names along with the phrase geunsa (謹寫 “respectfully portrayed”), thus asserting their individual identity as painters—an indication of the changing artistic consciousness of the time.
The murals remained in place inside the inner quarters of Changdeokgung for over a century, enduring the wear of time, and eventually requiring restoration and secure oversight. In response, Korea Heritage Service (former Cultural Heritage Administration) initiated restoration work on the Daejojeon murals in 2014, the Huijeongdang murals in 2016, and the Gyeonghungak murals in 2023. The original murals are now housed in the National Palace Museum of Korea, while reproductions and facsimiles have been installed in the respective halls within Changdeokgung Palace. All six murals are State-Registered Cultural Heritage.
This exhibition displays for the first time all six Changdeokgung murals together—the last examples of royal palace decorative painting. It consists of two sections, starting with a close, in-depth look at each mural in separate, dedicated spaces in Section I:
(1) Murals of Huijeongdang, which served as Emperor Sunjong’s audience chamber,
(2) Murals of Daejojeon, the imperial couple’s private quarters, and
(3) Murals of Gyeonghungak, which functioned as a study and resting space.
The Huijeongdang murals—Magnificent View of Chongseokjeong (Mass of Stones Pavilion)and Extraordinary Views of Manmulsang (Rocks of Every Shape),Geumgangsan Mountains—were painted by Kim Gyu-jin (1868–1933) and are large-scale works based on his own sketches made during a journey through Geumgangsan. These mountains on the east coast of the Korean Peninsula represented a novel subject for royal court painting, reflecting a complex backstory of the times: The mountainous area was regarded as sacred, symbolizing the Korean national spirit, while at the same time it was being actively developed as a tourist destination under the Japanese colonial government.
Inside the main hall of Daejojeon, Phoenixes—a collaborative work by Oh Il-young (1890–1960) and Yi Yong-u (1902–1952)—faces White Cranes, painted by Kim Eun-ho (1892–1979). Both the phoenix, symbolizing peace and marital harmony, and the white crane, one of the ten traditional symbols of longevity, were commonly featured motifs in royal court paintings. For the first time, Kim Eun-ho’s original preparatory sketch for White Cranes will be unveiled in this exhibition, allowing visitors to view it alongside the completed painting.
The murals that previously adorned Gyeonghungak—Land of Immortals at Sunriseby Noh Soo-hyun (1899–1978) and Three Immortals Viewing the Waves by Lee Sang-beom (1897–1972)—are also being shown to the public for the first time at this exhibition. Depicting idyllic realms of immortals beyond the mundane world, these two paintings feature symbolic elements such as peaches and a turtle—both associated with longevity—held by young attendants, as well as three immortals boasting about their age. These motifs clearly convey wishes for the emperor and empress’s long life and peace of mind.
Section II of the special exhibition features a media art installation titled Magnificent Murals Awaken Once More, inspired by the Changdeokgung murals. This immersive digital experience brings to life the breathtaking beauty of Geumgangsan—long revered as a sacred mountainous area of the Korean people—along with the auspicious flight of phoenixes and white cranes, and the mythical world of immortals enjoying eternal life. These scenes are rendered in vivid, interactive visuals that respond to the movements of visitors, offering a fantastical and engaging reinterpretation of the murals.
During the special exhibition period, various educational programs themed around the Changdeokgung murals will also be offered:
- In-Depth Lectures on Royal Culture will be delivered by experts on three Wednesdays (August 27, September 3, and September 17) from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
- The Splendid Murals of Changdeokgung with Activity Sheets is a program for 4th to 6th grade elementary school students, running August 18-22, with two sessions daily (10:10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.), totaling 10 sessions.
- Seeing and Creating the Splendid Murals of Changdeokgung is designed for 3rd to 6th grade students and their guardians, held every Saturday from August 16 to September 27 at 10:10 a.m., for a total of 7 sessions.
- Experiencing the Splendid Murals of Changdeokgung On-site is an adult program conducted on Mondays from September 8 to 22 at 10:00 a.m., consisting of 3 sessions.
The National Palace Museum of Korea, under the Korea Heritage Service, aims to use this special exhibition—featuring the six Changdeokgung murals, the final works of Korean royal court painting—as an opportunity to highlight not only palace architecture and court art, but also a pivotal moment in the history of modern Korean art. The museum will continue its efforts to widely promote the value of Korea’s royal court heritage both at home and abroad through future exhibition initiatives.
Attachment
1. Photos of works on display
2. Promotional Material