Portrait of Gim Yuk

This portrait captures Gim Yuk (1580-1658), a renowned Confucian scholar-statesman of the mid- Joseon period, in his late sixties dressed in the robe of a Confucian scholar. The postscript made on the left of the painting by the artist Meng Yongguang states: "Anyone can instantly recognize his virtue from his resemblance to an immortal Daoist sage with a beard as white as snow. Meng Yongguang was a Chinese painter who followed Crown Prince Sohyeon (1612-1645) to Joseon in 1645 and remained there for about three years, during which time he became acquainted with Gim Yuk. On the right of the portrait can be seen its title: "Portrait of the Chief State Councilor, Jamgok and Munjeonggong" ("Jamgok" is the sitter's courtesy name and "Munjeonggong" his posthumous honorary title). According to Sukjong sillok (Annals of King Sukjong), the king was greatly impressed by a portrait of Gim Yuk which experts conjecture was this painting.