The rooms of the nobility of Joseon were decorated with simple furniture, such as display cabinets, writing tables, pictures, and folding screen made of wood.
A common subject for pictures and folding screens in this type of room was the bookshelf. The painting of items associated with learning, centering on books and the four treasures of the study, as well as other artifacts, show a geometric beauty which sometimes looks three dimensional, similar to perspective drawings of architects, and sometimes like still life paintings with items composed freely.
