Portrait Sketch of Lee Deok-hyeong

Haneom Lee Deok-hyeong escorted the king up to Jeongju during the Japanese Invasion of Korea and was dispatched to the Ming Dynasty to successfully have China send troops to aid in battles. During the reign of Gwanghaegun, when the samsa (three institutions in charge of legal affairs), abetted by Lee Yi-cheom, argued for the execution and dethroning of Grand Prince Yeongchang, Lee Deok-hyeong strongly opposed it alongside Lee Hang-bok. While samsa argued for the execution of Lee Deok-hyeong, Gwanghaegun settled the matter by stripping Lee of his government title.

After the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, the Joseon Dynasty held a lot of responsibility for public servants, and ordered the painter of Dohwaseo (Royal Bureau of Painting) to draw a portrait and gave it to the contributors, which is presumed to be one of them. Lee Deok-hyeong's gun-juvenile eyes and naturally closed mouth make us guess the upright personality. The delicate and lively expression of the eyes, beard, and pupil of the iris with a very thin brush is a unique feature of our portraits, which is rare in the Western portraits. However, the herbal character is revealed in the simple folds of the official clothes painted in light ivory, and the shape of the short and wide horns in the lowered black samosa and the detailed patterns in it support the work of the 17th century.