19th century

General Guo Ziyi's Banquet (Kor. Kwakpunyang hyangnakto)

Guo Ziyi (697-781) was a Chinese general who loyally served four Chinese emperors during the Tang dynasty, and came to be considered a model of the ideal Confucian official. In Korea, this subject matter fit well with the values of the Joseon court, which held conservative Confucian principles. Guo is pictured here in the third panel from the left, a bearded gentleman seated with two small boys by his side. The artist uses brilliant blues and greens in his composition, colors that themselves evoke the so-called blue-green landscape style that was popular during the Tang dynasty in China.