Chŏng Sŏn

Korean painter
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Kyŏmja
Quick Facts
Also called:
Kyŏmja (Korean: “Humble Study”)
Born:
1676, Korea
Died:
1759, Korea (aged 83)
Also Known As:
Kyŏmja

Chŏng Sŏn (born 1676, Korea—died 1759, Korea) was a noted painter who was the first Korean artist to depart from the Chinese academic models. He frequently left his studio to paint from direct observation of the world around him. Other Korean artists were soon inspired to follow his example.

Born into a humble family, Chŏng impressed an aristocratic neighbour with his artistic talents and, as a result, was recommended to the court, where he soon won official position. An extremely diligent man, he is said to have painted daily, well into his 80s. In technique, he was a member of the Southern school, but he developed a unique brush “wrinkle,” which consisted of bold vertical parallel strokes and which was said to be unforgettable.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.