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 Hendrick Hamel's journal (click for Korean)
 Dutch History in the Far East
 Korean studies, related to Hamel
 Links about Korea
Henny Savenije's personal involvement
Search list

This is my personal portal to the research I did about several topics in Korean history and culture. The most important site is about Hendrick Hamel. The first Westerner to write about Korea (1666). Part of the Hamel story is also translated in Korean, but most of the documents are translated from 17th century Dutch into English. In another site you will find the article Frits Vos wrote about the material which can be found in Witsen's book. I also made a website about Western maps of Korea, I made one about old pictures of Korea. Finally I have done research for my genealogy. Check out also my links which took me a long time to compile and which are impossible to maintain, due to "linkrot", but are an important part of this project. Who am I and why did I do this?

Well I think the first question is the least important, but somewhere in this enormous pile of information you can find a link to some personal pages.

I did this, because I think that science should be available for everyone in an easy accessible way. Papers and results should be published so that everyone can judge and give their opinion. The internet gives us ample opportunities to do so. Sciences in general and Korean studies in particular suffer too much from protectionism and copyrights. Go ahead and take what you want. As long as you credit me, I don't care. I don't charge money for it.

Have fun exploring this enormous amount of interesting information about Korea.

E-mail webmaster at henny-savenije.pe.kr

"Man in Korean Costume" drawing made by Rubens, in 1617/18 -- black chalk and some traces of red chalk on paper, 38.4 x 23.5 cm, now in the J. Paul Getty Museum (Malibu), reg. no. 83.GB.384) -- The depicted man is clearly a Westerner, and the costume is indeed a Korean Chosôn period costume (ch'ôsok). The drawing is part of a series of five drawings -- the other four being men in Chinese costumes. It has been speculated that the man in the costume is the China missionary Nicolas Trigault (alias Kin Nige, 1577-1628), who in January 1617 was together with Rubens in Antwerp. (Courtesy Frank Hoffmann). Gari Ledyard however says they might be as well Chinese Ming dynasty clothes (personal email). according to him, it is doubtful if the Jesuits that early in time were already acquinted with Koreans and their clothes.

Pictures on this website are watermarked and copyrights are deposited at Digimarc

In Vienna there is another picture in the Kunsthistorische Museum called "The miracles of Francis Xavier" - with the same person in Korean dress. Over there the person has more clearly a Western face. (Courtesy Werner Koidl, because of copyrights I can't display this picture but I can show the head) Link to Korean article