Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Portrait of Yu Sosim
Chae Yongsin (artist name: Seokji) Korean
Not on view
The sitter, Yu Sosim, wrote the inscription on the top right identifying himself and the date of the portrait. Little is known beyond his name. But, like the adjacent portrait by the same artist, Yu’s robe (though blue, not white) and hat indicate his status as a scholar in informal dress. Additionally, he holds a well-known neo-Confucian text in his left hand. In both paintings the men’s hands are visible, a significant departure from portraits of the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910); traditionally one’s hands were hidden from view as a sign of decorum.
A renowned portraitist in his time, Chae first gained fame following a royal commission from the king. After 1905, he settled in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, and devoted his time to painting portraits of people from that region, especially neo-Confucian scholars.
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