Yi Sung-won Portrait

This is a portrait of Yi Sung-won (1428–1491), a civil official of the Joseon dynasty. It appears to have been produced by royal command as a portrait of a meritorious subject (gongsindo) to commemorate his ennoblement as Yeonwongun after receiving third-class merit as a Jwari Meritorious Subject in 1471, the second year of King Seongjong. It is a full-length seated portrait facing slightly to the right, measuring 100 cm wide and 200 cm high. The horizontally extended shape of the samo cap worn on the head, the pale red ground colour of the official robes, the rendering of the face and the folds of the clothing, and the shape of the footrest all reveal the portrait techniques of the early Joseon period. Whereas most Korean portraits show the subject in the gongsu posture, with both hands tucked inside the sleeves, in this portrait the hands are shown outside the sleeves. The inscription on the right of the painting, recording the work's history and details of its subject, appears to have been added later, as does the grapevine pattern in the background. Although these later additions somewhat diminish the portrait's value, it remains a valuable work that offers a glimpse of the original form of early Joseon meritorious-subject portraits among those that survive today. This portrait is said to have been painted by Hakpo Yi Sang-jwa, who excelled at painting the portraits of many meritorious subjects, including those from the reign of King Jungjong.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산