Mogeunyeongdangbon

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1215-1

Category

Painting

Era

조선 효종 5년(1654)

Designated year

1995

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구

Coordinates

No precise coordinates are available, so this item is not shown as a map marker. To be added later.

This portrait features Yi Saek (pen-name: Mogeun, 1328-1396), who was one of the three major figures who led a life of seclusion during the late Goryeo Dynasty. Originally, there used to be two kinds of portraits: the figure in an official uniform and one in a daily costume; only the portrait of the figure in an official uniform remains today, however. The existing portrait is only a copy, not the original. A total of 5 pieces of 4 copies remain today. A copy of the portrait kept at Nusanyeongdang Shrine in Yesan is said to have been reproduced by Heo Ui and Kim Myeong-guk in 1654. It measures 85.2 cm wide and 143 cm long. The figure is wearing an official hat called “samo” and facing the left side. The samo is depicted multi-dimensionally by drawing a gray line, and the face is expressed in a light reddish tone, showing the painting style of that time. This portrait faithfully portrays an official uniform of the late Goryeo. Even though this portrait is a reproduction of the original one, it is done by the best painter at the time; hence its great value in the history of Korean painting. The portraits kept at Mogeunyeongdang Shrine consist of a small copy that measures 25 cm wide and 25.8 cm long and a large copy measuring 81.6 cm wide and 149.8 cm long. The small copy was reproduced in 1654, the same period when the copy at Nusanyeongdang Shrine was made. The copy remaining today is a half-figure portrait; considering the missing part, however, the portrait had probably been a full-figure one. The large copy was made in the same form and size as that kept at Nusanyeongdang Shrine. It was reproduced in 1711 and has been enshrined at Imgangseowon Confucian Academy. The portrait kept at Munheonseowon Confucian Academy measures 85.2 cm wide and 150.7 cm long. Painted in the same style as that of Mogeunyeongdang, it was reproduced in 1755. Compared to the copy in Mogeunyeongdang, this portrait depicts the figure’s moustache and clothes relatively poorly, which can be attributed to the painter’s poor skills. The portrait kept at Daejeonyeongdang Shrine measures 78.7 cm wide and 146.3 cm long. Reproduced in the 10th year of King Heonjong’s reign (1844), it was painted in the same style and size as the one kept in Nusanyeongdang. It is well-made, thanks to the painter’s excellent skills. Today, the original portrait of Yi Saek is gone. Nonetheless, the reproduced copies were drawn by the best painters of the Joseon Dynasty, their preservation conditions are relatively good, and the portrait is that of an important figure in Korean history. Thus, these portraits are regarded as important in studying the history of Korean painting.