Origins & Early Life

Chŏng Sŏn (Korean: 정선; Hanja: 鄭敾; 1676 – 20 April 1759) was a Korean landscape painter, also known by the art names Gyeomjae and Nangok and courtesy name Wonbaek. His works include ink and oriental water paintings, such as Inwangjesaekdo (1751), Geumgang jeondo (1734), and Ingokjeongsa (1742), as well as numerous "true-view" landscape paintings on the subject of Korea and the history of its culture. He is counted among the most famous Korean painters. The landscape paintings that he produced reflect most of the geographical features of Korea.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His style is realistic rather than abstract. Chŏng was born on 16 February 1676, in the Jongno District of Seoul, in the Cheongun-dong neighborhood. He was the eldest son of Jeong Si-ik (1638–1689), the descendant of an illustrious and gentry family that originally came from Gwangju. Soon in infancy, he was noted for his artistic talents and is said to have painted daily, with a prolific output until old age. But his family was so poor that he couldn't become a scholar-painter (a yangban painting for leisure).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Nevertheless, he was introduced in a circle of powerful neighbors and was, on their recommendation, allowed to work for...

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