Korea, Japanese colonial period (1910−1945) / 1921
Portrait of a Government Official
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of a Government Official as painting (Korea, Japanese colonial period (1910−1945) · 1921).
It was European photography introduced to Korea in the end of the 1800s that most inspired Chae’s naturalistic approach to his subject.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk and credits Chae Yongshin (Korean, 1850–1941).
The museum's collection notes: Wearing a dark green court uniform, a man is seated in a chair covered with a leopard skin, a gift from the royal court to a newly appointed officer. The embroidered rank badge with a design of a single flying crane identifies the sitter’s bureaucratic status: the third ranked officer. In this work, the painter Chae Yongshin (1850–1941) rendered a newly promoted government official's shy smile, giving a glimpse into his mixed feelings of confidence and anxiety about his future professional career.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of a Government OfficialOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.