The Album of the Elder Statesmen’s Association (Gisa Gyecheop) is a collection of paintings made to commemorate the Association of Elder Statesmen (Giroso), which King Sukjong (r. 1674-1720) joined in 1719 at the age of 59 following the example of the founder of the Joseon dynasty, King Taejo (r. 1392-1398). The meeting of the association depicted in the paintings took place in 1719, while the album was completed the following year. An association called the Giroso was established to honor the services of elderly civil officials of the second rank (pum) aged over 70.
The album consists of an introduction written by Im Bang (1640-1724), a poetic work written by King Sukjong himself at the banquet, which was held at Gyeonghyeondang Hall of Gyeonghuigung Palace, a postscript written by Kim Yu (1653-1719), a roster of the association’s members, paintings depicting the association’s gatherings, half-length portraits of, and poetic works written by, various members, and a list of minor officials who participated in the production of the album. The paintings of the association’s events in the album appear in the following order: Consecration of the King’s Membership Certificate (Eocheop Bongando), which depicts a procession of officials carrying the certificate of King Sukjong’s membership of the Association of the Elder Statesmen from Heungjeongdang Hall of Gyeonghuigung Palace to the office of the association, where it would finally be stored; Royal Banquet at Sungjeongjeon Hall (Sungjeongjeon Jinhajeondo), which portrays a scene of the royal banquet held at Sungjeongjeon Hall of Gyeonghuigung Palace on the day after the procession; King’s Banquet at Gyeonghyeondang Hall (Gyeonghyeondang Seogyeondo), a painting of the banquet hosted by the king at Gyeonghyeondang Hall; Return to the Association with the Royal Cup (Bongbae Gwisado), which depicts a procession of elder statesmen returning to the office of their association with the silver cup awarded to them at the Gyeonghyeondang banquet; and Private Banquet for Retired Elder Statesmen, which portrays a banquet held for the elder statesmen at the office of their association.
Produced by Kim Jin-yeo, Jang Tae-heung and other master painters serving at the Office of Charts and Paintings (Dohwaseo), these paintings of the celebratory events and the portraits of the elder statesmen are characterized by the use of bright colors, delicate and well-controlled brush strokes, and a realistic depiction of facial expressions, accompanied by a masterful use of a shading technique. Generally regarded as the greatest court paintings of their kind produced in late eighteenth-century Joseon, they had a strong impact on the court paintings of the later period. Due to its excellent state of preservation, the clear record of its background, the identity of its creators and its production date, and the excellence of its execution and artistic presentation, this album of paintings is worthy of honor as a national treasure.