ABSTRACT
With the introduction of Western art styles and techniques in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Korean painters were faced with a daunting challenge: how to preserve tradition while embracing modernity. The social changes that marked the modern era can be traced back to the eighteenth century, when the collapse of the feudal system severely disrupted the existing class hierarchy, enabling ordinary people to conceive of independence and individuality for the first time. The search for modernity in Korean ink-wash painting correlated with the partition of calligraphy and painting, which for centuries had been unified in traditional Eastern art. The modern era brought profound changes to the education system, particularly with the implementation of mandatory general education for all children, regardless of social class, as well as age-stratified schools. The number of ink-wash paintings submitted to the Joseon Art Exhibition steadily decreased, until the Western-style oil painting section became most dominant.
