Portrait of Choeikhyeon

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1510

Category

Painting

Era

1905

Designated year

2007

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가, 국립중앙박물관)

Coordinates

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

Choe Ik-hyeon (1833-1906) was a famous patriot during the last years of the Joseon Dynasty. This portrait depicts him in a costume and well reflects his unbending character as a Neo-Confucian scholar who tried to protect traditional social and moral values from Western influence and as a leader of righteous army. It has two colophons: the one at top right reads, “Portrait of Master Choe Myeonam 74 Years Old, Fur Cap Version”; and one near the lower left corner reads, “Painted by Jeongsan Magistrate Chae Yong-sin in early January of the Eulsa Year.” The zodiac year name refers to 1905, when Korea was forced to sign the Protectorate Treaty with Japan. The painter’s honest and cautious brushwork, characteristic of his early works, effectively expresses the subject’s inner world.