Korean Empire en

Refers to the culture and style under the government that ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1897 to 1910. King Gojong (the 26th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty) renamed the state “Daehan” and proclaimed himself emperor as part of the Gwangmu reforms. Art during this period combined traditional practices with foreign influences, while state initiatives at promoting crafts, establishing expositions, and founding museums laid the foundation for the modernization of Korean art and culture. Following the introduction of photography in the late 19th century, the portraitist Chae Yongsin adopted Western techniques and used photographic references to paint portraits of Emperor Gojong, scholar-officials, women, and independence activists. Meanwhile young painters began going abroad to study Western painting. After the state-run ceramic manufactories known as the Bunwon were privatized in 1884, white porcelain circulated nationwide, but eventually declined with the influx of Japanese imports. The imperial court revived traditional craft techniques and founded the Hanseong Craftwork Manufactory in 1908 for commercial production, but the workshop also promoted modern craft methods and industrialization. Its works often featured the plum-blossom crest symbolizing the imperial household.