This dissertation examines the transformation of the artistic identity and painting practices of the late Joseon painter Jeong Seon (1676–1759) through an analysis of the subjects and formal characteristics of his works across different stages of hi...
This dissertation examines the transformation of the artistic identity and painting practices of the late Joseon painter Jeong Seon (1676–1759) through an analysis of the subjects and formal characteristics of his works across different stages of his life. Because Jeong Seon left few direct written records concerning his artistic activities, his life and art have largely been reconstructed through accounts written by his contemporaries. Such records, however, have often been selectively interpreted by later scholars, resulting in conflicting characterizations of Jeong Seon as a literati painter, scholar-official painter, court painter, or professional painter. This study seeks to move beyond these biographical narratives by tracing changes in Jeong Seon’s artistic identity through close analysis of visual elements such as subject matter, scale, composition, brushwork, coloration, and mounting format. In this study, artistic identity is understood not as the painter’s inner personality or psychological state, but as a socially negotiated position articulated through painting as a visual medium. From this perspective, the dissertation examines three key works—Jeong Seon’s paintings of Mount Geumgang, the albumGyeonggyo Myeongseung Cheop (Album of Famous Scenic Sites in the Capital and Suburbs), andInwang Jesaekdo(Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang)—to identify moments in which new subjects and formats emerged, thereby revealing shifts in the formation of his artistic identity and working attitudes and methods.
Jeong Seon began his full-scale career as a painter around 1711 with his paintings of Mount Geumgang, produced in both complete-view and album formats. The large hanging scrollGeumgang Jeondo(Complete View of Geumgangsan Mountain) presents a monumental panoramic view of the entire mountain range, omitting specific place names in order to emphasize its sacred and symbolic character, closely associated with the long-standing religious, in particular, Buddhist cult of Mount Geumgang. In contrast, the albumSinmyonyeon Pungak Docheop(Album of Mount Geumgang in the ‘Sinmyo’ Year) visualizes the experience of travel by arranging multiple scenes sequentially and incorporating paths, staffage figures, expressive brush techniques, and inscribed place names to convey both the physical features of the landscape and its human-geographical significance. Together, these works demonstrate Jeong Seon’s working attitude as a professional painter whose primary aim was to meet the religious and experiential expectations of his patrons.
Around 1740, during the production of the albumGyeonggyo Myeongseung Cheop, Jeong Seon’s artistic identity underwent a notable transformation. Comprising albums such asHangang Yuram Cheop(Album of a Journey along the Han River) andYangcheon Sipgyeong Cheop(Album of Ten Views in Yangcheon), as well as works related to the "promise of interchanging poetry and picture," this body of work reflects Jeong Seon’s travel experiences, official life, and personal relationships. As his reputation and economic stability increased following his appointment as magistrate of Yangcheon, Jeong Seon increasingly sought to present himself as a member of the literati elite rather than solely as a professional painter.
A further transformation is evident inInwang Jesaekdo(Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang), produced in 1751. Depicting Mount Inwang immediately after rainfall, this large hanging scroll introduces a new spatial composition based on the format of a landscape panorama that Jeong Seon had developed over time. Drawing upon earlier traditions of cloud-and-mountain imagery, includingCheongsan Baegun-do(Blue Mountains and White Clouds), the painting captures the moment when rain has just cleared and reinterprets the scene as an auspicious image associated with healing and recovery. Created in his later years, the work shows significant changes in brushwork caused by declining eyesight into bold strokes and dynamic textural effects. The deliberate choice of Mount Inwang as an independent subject further underscores Jeong Seon’s experimental approach in his final years, when he was less constrained by contemporary artistic conventions.
This study concludes that Jeong Seon’s artistic world continually transformed throughout his life as a result of conscious self-fashioning efforts inseparable from the changing social relationships and life circumstances. Rather than remaining passively bound by social status or economic conditions, Jeong Seon actively built and reformulated his artistic identity through painting, establishing himself as a self-determining painter whose works reflect a sustained process of artistic exploration.