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ARTH 448 Korean Art

A survey of the art, architecture, and visual culture of Korea from Neolithic times to the present.

What is a Primary Source

An actual work of art, whether a painting or a building, is a primary source. A primary source is "first-hand" information, sources as close as possible to the origin of the information or idea under study. Primary sources are contrasted with secondary sources, works that provide analysis, commentary, or criticism on the primary source. In literary studies, primary sources are often creative works, including poems, stories, novels, and so on. In historical studies, primary sources include written works, recordings, or other source of information from people who were participants or direct witnesses to the events in question. Examples of commonly used primary sources include government documents, memoirs, personal correspondence, oral histories, and contemporary newspaper accounts.

Books written by the artist, such as a journal/diary/autobiography/letters are examples of primary sources.  Newspaper and magazine articles written by someone who attended an opening or a talk by an artist would be primary sources.  Books and articles written by friends and associates during the artist's lifetime would also be primary sources.

Bulgug-sa Temple

Bulgug-sa Temple

Bulgug-sa Temple, overview of entire compoundReign: Silla Bophung 528+  Republic of Korea, Choongchungbuk-do, Ch'ongju. Data From: The John C. and Susan L. Huntington Archive of Buddhist and Related Art, The Ohio State University. Available from ARTstor http://library.artstor.org.lib.pepperdine.edu

Primary Sources

Reviews of art exhibits and events can be found in newspapers and some older magazines.