A Study on the 19th-Century Depiction of Parallel Projection in Donggwoldo

Abstract

Donggwoldo, or "Painting of Eastern Palaces," is a late Joseon documentary painting of Changdeokgung Palace, its rear garden Huwon, and Changgyeonggung Palace. It falls under the category of 19th century map paintings. In Donggwoldo, a contemplative mode of depiction based on parallel projection is used to create a multi-perspective spatial structure; however, the focus is less on achieving a unified mode of depiction and more on adhering to the tradition of Joseon paintings that used artistic techniques selectively to fulfill specific purposes. In contrast to their actual layout, the buildings of the palaces followed a strict order of arrangement and positioning based on the traditional principles of architectural composition. While various sections of the palace are accurately partitioned and clearly reflect hierarchy, they are also individually magnified or scaled down to restructure the buildings into near-ideal forms of palatial architecture. This conceptual interference makes Donggwoldo transcend its practical function of documentation, and suggests that the aim was less on creating an accurate depiction of the actual palaces, but rather on effectively reflecting the architectural ideology behind their creation.