Personal observations of a scholar-official

This screen features the reflections of a scholar-official at the end of the Joseon dynasty. Written in Classical Chinese characters using semi-cursive script, it reads from the right:

Diligence overcomes all difficulties under heaven,
Happiness is attained through unspoken reflection on filial devotion,
Poetry and the classics are as tasty as savory soup,
The spring mountains can be seen between the screens in my studio,
On my desk is the Qiushui section of [the Daoist philosopher] Zhuangzi’s text,
A visit from good friends is as pleasurable as gazing at the moon.

Gwon Dongsu signed his name and his penname, Seok’un (literally, “stone cloud”), and impressed his seals on the second, fourth, and sixth panels from the right.

A loyal official under King Gojong (reigned 1864–1907), Gwon was sent to Vladivostok in 1895 on a secret mission to meet the emperor of Russia. In 1900 Gwon was appointed Korea’s trade officer in Vladivostok. He was also among those who defended Korea against the encroaching Japanese forces at the end of the Joseon-dynasty.

An excellent calligrapher, Gwon was especially skilled in the seal and semi-cursive script styles. The contents of this screen reflect his love of traditional Confucian values, the core of the value system of scholar-officials at the Joseon-dynasty court.