Portrait of King Cheoljong

This portrait of Joseon’s 25th king Cheoljong at the age of 31 (r. 1849-1863) was painted in 1861, the 12th year of King Cheoljong’s reign. According to the Factual Record of the Reproduction of Royal Portraits, it was painted by the king’s order and under the supervision of Yi Han-cheol (1808-unknown), a top-ranking court painter who belonged to the Royal Library and Jo Jung-muk, a court painter who belonged to Administrative Office of Painting. The elaborate and splendid depiction of the military attire, including peacock feathers hanging from the soldier’s hat, and embroidered dragon insignias on the chest and shoulders, shows the dignity of the king well. This is the only surviving portrait of a king of Joseon Dynasty in military attire, but it is an example of the portraits which depict the kings of Joseon in different garments depicting different garments. The phrase “My portrait at the age of 31” on the top of the frame is the calligraphy of King Cheoljong.