This paper provides changes in handwriting in the 18th century by focusing on the external shape of handwriting in Yonhaeng-Ilgi, Eulbyong-Yonhaengrok and Muo-Yonhaengrok during the reign of such kings of the Chosun dynasty as Sukjong, Youngjo, and Ju ...
This paper provides changes in handwriting in the 18th century by focusing on the external shape of handwriting in Yonhaeng-Ilgi, Eulbyong-Yonhaengrok and Muo-Yonhaengrok during the reign of such kings of the Chosun dynasty as Sukjong, Youngjo, and Jungjo.
There are approximately 500 Yonhaengroks, among them, there are 20 Yonhaengroks written in Hangul. Most prominent Yonhaengroks in Hangul include Kim Chang-Up’s Yonhaeng-Ilgi, Hong Dae-yong’s Eulbyong-Yonhaengrok, and Seo Yoo-moon’s Muo-Yonhaengrok. Although it is difficult to figure out when and how they were written and produced, by just estimating when they were written, it could help determine the year of production; Yonhaeng-Ilgi in 1712 → Eulbyong-Yonhaengrok in 1765 → Muo-Yonhaengrok in 1798.
Based on observation on changes in the use of brush and the conclusion of the three Yonhaengroks, vertical stroke for the final vowel in the Yonhaeng-Ilgi is thin, long and strait. Meanwhile, in the Eulbyong-Yonhaengrok and Muo-Yonhaengrok, writings are thick and short consonants. Cross stroke of lateral vowels’ length is equal in all three works. One unique feature at this point is that their length is much shorter than the vertical vowel. The writers of the three works connected points and made a stroke for vowels, and they changed in a similar pattern. Although there are slight differences among the writers depending on the first consonants and brushes chosen by the writers, basic forms of the first consonants are the same.
Concluding part (both vowels and consonants) of the three works has the same pattern of change. However, in Yonhaeng-Ilgi, vowel vertical strokes are long, thus outer part of the work has a long vertical length, while letters in Eulbyong-Yonhaengrok and Muo-Yonhaengrok have short vertical length.
Size of the three works is 30×20cm (length×width) on average, a double-sided page displays 10 lines, and one line includes approximately 20 words. Words in Yonhaeng-Ilgi look neat as they are separated from each other. However, in Muo-Yonhaengrok, many words are connected to each other, and there are many words in a single line, making the page look busy. All the three works do not display abbreviation of the words.
Based on observing handwritings of three Yonhaengroks during the early, middle and late 18th century, we could find that vowels were already fixed in a single form in the early part of the 18th century. Since the mid-18th century, vowel vertical stroke became short, handwritings have changed to a round form, whose shape is almost a square.