Daewon Group Portrait

This is a full-length portrait of Yi Ha-eung, the Heungseon Daewongun, or Prince Regent (1820–1898), standing with his body turned slightly to the left, holding a purple box in his hands. Although his clothing gives him something of an exotic air, an inscription in ink on the right of the painting reading 'Portrait of the Daewongun' confirms that this is indeed a portrait of the Daewongun. The painting was acquired by the Dong-A University Museum from the collection of Won Chung-hui, a pupil of the calligrapher O Se-chang. Four portraits of the Daewongun are known today: this one, held by Dong-A University; an anonymous portrait in ceremonial court dress with a gold crown, held by the National Museum of Korea; a joint work by Yi Han-cheol and Yi Chang-ok (1880), held by the Seoul Museum of History; and an anonymous half-length portrait held by Seoul National University. Of these, the present work was made last and shows the Daewongun in old age. Judging from the costume, it appears to have been painted by a Korean artist around the time the Daewongun was taken to Qing China as the official held responsible for the Imo Incident of 1882 and spent three years in confinement at Baoding. The face is coloured in a flesh tone with a slight reddish tinge, and its outline is rendered in fine detail through layers of thin overlapping lines, producing natural shading. The body is depicted much more simply than the face, and its proportions make it hard to say for certain whether the figure is meant to be standing or seated. The folds of the robe are schematic, and the black hat with its red tassel is close to a Qing-style hat. The work therefore looks almost unfinished, as though the artist rendered the face precisely but was unable to complete the rest with the same care. Even so, although by the time this work was made new styles such as Western painting techniques and shading had become known, it faithfully follows Korea's traditional method of portraiture. Though a portrait from the late Joseon period, it was made using traditional technique, conveying the Daewongun's dignified character while also achieving a sense of realism through shading and volume.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seo-gu, Busan

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산