Portrait of Sin Suk-ju

This is a portrait of Sin Suk-ju (1417-1475), a renowned civil official of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Sin passed the state examination in 1439, and was promoted to various high posts in the royal court. He participated in the creation of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet during the reign of King Sejong (r. 1418-1450). In 1455, the first year of King Sejo’s reign, he was bestowed the title of meritorious subject for assisting the king to the throne. This full-length portrait painted on a sheet of ramie cloth is typical of portraits depicting meritorious subjects in the early period of the Joseon Dynasty. The gold embroidery on the chest follows the contemporary attire of Ming China, and the patterns of peonies and peacocks show the full court attire of a high ranking official. The brush strokes and the use of Chinese ink are refined, adding aesthetic value to this portrait.

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08