Portrait of Yi Gyu-sang

This portrait depicts a seated Yi Gyu-sang (1837-1917) wearing a traditional military official’s uniform of the Joseon dynasty. Compared to other typical Joseon portraits, this work is notable for the two Western-style medals identical to those in plates 5-12 and 5-13 pinned to Yi’s chest. Due to this element, it may be inferred that the portrait was produced in the first decade of the twentieth- century, during the Korean Empire. While the facial features in other late-Joseon portraits are clearly outlined and then shaded to illustrate the volumetric contours of the face, the highly realistic shading and differing levels of brightness seen in Yi’s face in this work resemble a photograph. The pattern on the floor mat recedes into the background, reflecting the use of Western-style perspective. The application of thin brushstrokes to delineate the contours of the face, as well as the depiction of the garment folds, suggest that this work was created by the artist Kim Eun-ho. This portrait illustrates the changes in techniques of traditional portraiture brought about by the introduction of photography.