It’s officially Summer!

For July's wallpaper, 'Chaekgeori', a traditional style of Korean painting, was reinterpreted to give off a summer vibe. Chaekgeori, which is well known to be the favorite painting style of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, depicts a variety of treasured scholarly items, especially books.

The painting contains all the items people at that time wished for and wanted to have, as well as items with positive symbolic meanings. Basically, it is a lot like today's wish list!

Chaekgeori represents many valued ideas in the Joseon Dynasty, such as the success of a child or oneself. They are paintings that reveal the unique sentiment of Korea as they contain the desire to further enhance the dignity of the literary family. It was once a prevailing style of painting that was so popular, so it could be seen everywhere from palaces to humble homes.

Each object that appears in Chaekgeori represents a different meaning.

High stacks of books stand for academic talents, numerous books read, or even the desire for a high official position. The pottery peeking out from behind the books symbolizes the peace of the family, while Narcissus symbolizes the gods and the desire to be more like them. Lastly, the watermelon placed in the foreground of the picture is a fruit with many seeds, symbolizing fertility.

The charm of folk paintings like those in the Chaekgeori style lies in the layout, which reconstructs the subject rather than describing it realistically. The goal is to deconstruct the objects in the painting one by one and reorganize them from a new point of view.

BOJ's reinterpretations of Hanbang ingredients are much like the reinterpretation of everyday items in Chaekgeori.

*Monthly wallpapers can only be downloaded for that month, so don't miss out!

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