Calligraphy by King Jeongjo

"Inscription for Munsang-jeongsa" is a seven-character verse composed and written by King Jeongjo in September 1798 on the subject of Munsang-jeongsa, the retreat of Jeong Min-si (sobriquet Jeongwa, 1745–1800). It is written in running script on pale pink paper lavishly decorated with cloud-and-dragon motifs painted in gold. At the beginning and end are stamped King Jeongjo's personal seals: "Gyujang jibo" at the start, and "Hongjae" and "Man-gi jiga" at the end. Among King Jeongjo's surviving calligraphic works, this is the largest, and it survives in very good condition. It is also mounted in pale blue-green and ivory silk, a typical example of late Joseon court mounting. The calligraphic style is bolder than King Jeongjo's earlier writing, with the influence of the Tang calligrapher Yan Zhenqing especially evident in the diagonal strokes and hooks. Written two years before the king's death, it is a representative work of his later years, admired for its artistic excellence and regarded as the finest example of his calligraphy. This scroll may be said to represent the court calligraphic culture in which content, script and mounting form a unified whole.

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Where it is

Region

Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Designation

Treasure · 보물