Portrait of the Great Master Yeongwoldang Eungjin

1700s

Medium
hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
Overall: 216.9 x 103.3 cm (85 3/8 x 40 11/16 in.); Painting only: 114.4 x 79.2 cm (45 1/16 x 31 3/16 in.)
Culture
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art, Korean Art
Credit line
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Rights
Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The monk in this portrait, identified by an inscription in a red cartouche at the upper right of this painting, is the Great Master Yeongwoldang Eungjin. Portraits of this type, painted following the death of an important Buddhist monk, are known as jinyeong. His elevated status is indicated by his fine monastic garments, the dragon-headed ceremonial fly whisk he holds in his left hand, and the Buddhist scripture in his right hand. The writing box on his desk, with brushes, ink stone, and water dropper, further emphasizes his prowess as a man of deep insight into the Buddhist teachings.