Portrait of King Wonjong

This portrait of King Wonjong (1580-1619) was one copied by Kim Eun-ho (1892-1979) known as the last royal portrait painter. The left side of the screen was lost, but much of the face and costume remain. It shares some features with the portraits of merit-subjects from the early 17th century, in that the figure is sitting on a chair wearing official attire: black hat, and black robe with curved collar, and a numinous lion rank square. King Wonjong, the son of King Seonjo (r. 1567-1608) and the father of King Injo (1623-1649), was honored as Prince Regent in 1623 when King Injo ascended to the throne through political upheaval, and then honored as the king with the name of Wonjong in 1632, the 10th year of King Injo's reign after King Injo died. In 1632 King Injo changed the name of Nambyeoljeon Hall to Sungeunjeon Hall, and enshrined the portrait of Wonjong before honoring him as the king. Since then, the portrait of King Wonjong was kept in the third room of Yeonghuijeon Hall or the Hall of Royal Portraits until sometime during the Korean Empire. The portrait was once again copied in 1872, the 9th year of Emperor Gojong. The former portrait was destroyed and buried under ground while the new version was enshrined in the third room of Yeonghuijeon Hall. In 1908, a measure was taken to move the various portraits permanently to Gyeongungung Palace or Palace of Joyful Fortune. In 1921 these portraits were transported to the Hall of Royal Portraits in Changdeokgung Palace or Palace of Illustrious Virtue, and in 1935 the portraits of King Sejo and King Wonjong, each of which had only one section remaining, began to be reproduced and were completed in the following year. Kim Eun-ho was in charge of the project.