Portrait of Kang Se-hwang

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.590

Category

Painting

Era

조선 정조 6, 7년

Designated year

1975

Location

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

Coordinates

37.524041, 126.980350

These two portraits are of Kang Se-hwang (1713-1791), a renowned literati painter-calligrapher of late Joseon. One of them is a self-portrait painted by Kang Se-hwang, and the other is attributed to Yi Myeong-gi. The self-portrait is 51㎝ by 88.7㎝, and the other portrait 94㎝ by 145.5㎝. Both are ink and color works, realized on silk. As a painter, Kang Se-hwang, who was also an accomplished poet and calligrapher, had a uniquely recognizable style. In the self-portrait, Kang Se-hwang depicted himself wearing a black court official’s hat and a dopo coat in dark jade color. In the portrait attributed to Yi Myeong-gi, he dons a court official’s costume, along with a matching hat. Kang Se-hwang is shown in three-quarter view and looks to his right in both portraits. Both are seated full-length portraits. Wrinkles and lines on the face are rendered by an extra-touch of paint, and shadows are added in depressed areas to translate depth. The self-portrait represents Kang Se-hwang at the age of seventy-one. The other portrait by Yi Myeong-gi, a reputed portrait artist, was painted after Kang Se-hwang’s death, based on this self-portrait, although he is shown in different clothes. This portrait depicts small details such as knuckles in the fingers, something almost never seen in early-Joseon portraits, and is, therefore, a testament to changes that are meaningful for the history of Joseon painting.

Location