Self-portrait by Yun Du-seo

Basic information

Designation

National Treasure No.240

Category

Painting

Era

조선 숙종 36년(1710)

Designated year

1987

Location

해남군, 전라남도— 전남 해남군 해남읍 녹우당길 130, 고산윤선도전시관 (연동리)

Coordinates

34.549730, 126.620817Kakao address conversion

Yun Du-seo, a man of letters and painter of the late Joseon Dynasty, is the grandson of Yun Seon-do, who was also called Gosan. Also Yun Du-seo's daughter is the mother of Jeong Yak-yong. This is his self-portrait. It is 20.5cm in width and 38.5cm in length and is painted lightly on paper. The face takes up nearly the whole of the portrait and the body can be hardly seen. The portrait is facing forward. A part of the horsehair skullcap can be seen on the head. The eyes are looking ahead. The lips are rather thick and the beard around the mouth is described minutely, hair by hair. The upper part of the picture shows the face and there is a long beard hanging down under the face. It seems as if the beard is holding up the face. From the written documents in Heo Mok's Misugieon, or The Writings of Misu, and Kim Si-seup's Maewoldangjip, or The Collected Writings of Maewoldang, self-portraits seem to have existed since Goryeo. Self-portraits of Yi Gang-jwa and Gang Se-hwang can be found in the eighteenth century. Of these self-portraits, the self-portrait of Yun Du-seo is considered a masterpiece in terms of the unique mode of expression and technique.

Location