Examining Antiques at Literati Gathering

Art Historical Context

This intimate album leaf by Korean artist Wang Li Mu captures a quintessential scene from Joseon-dynasty scholarly life. Titled *ining Antiques at Literati Gathering*, the painting a group of men gathered around low tables, intently studying treasured objects. Created in the eighteenth century during Korea’s Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), the work reflects the Neo-Confucian emphasis on self-cultivation, history, and aesthetic appreciation that defined the educated elite of the period. Painted in ink and color on silk, the album-leaf format allowed such works to be stored in protective albums and...