| Flowering Plums and Curio Cabinets: The Culture of Objects in Late Chosŏn Korean Art Subjects: Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Korea -- History; Art and the middle class -- Korea -- History; Art Korean -- Chosŏn dynasty 1392–1910 -- Themes motives; Art Korean -- Historiography; The social and economic rise of the chungin class ("middle people" who ranked between the yangban aristocracy and commoners) during the late Chosŏn period (1700-1910) ushered in a world of materialism and commodification of painting and other art objects. Generally overlooked in art history, the chungin contributed to a flourishing art market, especially for ch'aekkori , a new form of still life painting that experimented with Western perspective and illusionism, and a reimagined style of the traditional plum blossom painting genre. Sunglim Kim is associate professor of art history at Dartmouth College. |