Ikjae Yi Je-hyeon Sanggwabaeksaihangbok Statue held at Gangjingugoksa Temple

These are portraits of Yi Je-hyeon (pen name Ikjae, 1287–1367) and Yi Hang-bok (pen name Baeksa, 1556–1618), preserved at Gugoksa Temple. Yi Je-hyeon was a civil official and scholar of the reign of King Gongmin of Goryeo, also widely known as a man of letters. Yi Hang-bok, a descendant of Yi Je-hyeon, was a civil official under King Seonjo of Joseon and a meritorious subject who played a major role during the Japanese invasions of Korea. The portrait of Yi Je-hyeon shows him as if walking in thought, conveying a subtle sense of movement. The clothing he wears resembles the style of Song-dynasty Chinese scholar portraits, showing that portrait painting of the Goryeo period developed on the basis of Song-dynasty formats. As almost no portraits survive from this period, it is also valuable evidence suggesting one type of Goryeo-period portraiture. The portrait of Yi Hang-bok is painted in colour on silk, showing him wearing a samo cap and ceremonial court robes with a rank badge embroidered with peonies and a peacock on the chest, through which his virtue and spirited character can be read. The depiction of the floor covered with a patterned rush mat, and his seated posture on a chair with his feet resting on a footstool, clearly show the typical style of meritorious-subject portraits from the mid-Joseon period (17th century). The painter and exact date of production of the two portraits are not certain, but both are said to be faithful copies, made after the 18th century, of contemporary originals. The Yi Je-hyeon portrait suggests one type of late-Goryeo portraiture, while the Yi Hang-bok portrait shows the typical iconography of meritorious-subject portraits of the early 17th century, giving both important historical value for the study of Korean portraiture.

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Where it is

Region

Gangjin, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산