A scholar in a garden

The painter Ji Unyeong lived during a period of political turmoil in Korea, at the turn of the twentieth century. He learned how to take photographs when he accompanied a Korean envoy group to Japan in 1882. After returning to Korea, he opened his own photo studio in Seoul; he was the first photographer to take King Gojong’s (1852–1919) portrait in 1884. In 1886 he was involved in an assassination plot and was exiled. After his exile, he changed the Classical Chinese characters of his first name, while keeping the same pronunciation in Korean, and focused on art and literature.

In this work, a scholar in Chinese attire stands stern under a willow tree on a windy day. The inscription of eight Classical Chinese characters on the middle left side of the painting helps to identify the subject matter. The inscription reads, “the sentiment and elegance of a willow tree suggests [a man] in the prime of life.” The inscription is likely a reference to the Chinese scholar-artist Zhang Xu, who lived during China’s Qi dynasty (479–502) and was an esteemed patron of the arts. Qi Emperor Wu (440–493), after planting willow trees on the palace grounds, said, “the sentiment and elegance of willow trees are similar to Zhang Xu in the prime of life.”