The Formation and Development of Prince Portraits : With a Special Focused on the Portrait of Prince Yeonying

Abstract

The Portrait of Prince Yeonying was the official prince portrait, or yejin 睿眞, that was commissioned by the king. Prince Yeonying (1694~1776) attended to his prince portrait in person and used it as a statement of his power at the junctures of his political career even after he ascended to the throne to become King Yeogjo (r. 1724~1776). This paper tracks the trajectory of prince portraits acquiring new significance as the visual proclamation of royal authority in the late Joseon. The Portrait of Prince Yeonying was bestowed upon the prince by his father, King Sukjong (r. 1674~1720) in 1714. That event played out politically favorable for the prince for whom the political support was not yet built on a stronghold. When he was appointed as Crown Prince to his brother, King Gyeongjong (1720~1724), Prince Yeonying had his official portrait to be painted once more, and thereby sought to proclaim visually his elevated position in court politics. After his coronation, he continued to turn to his prince portrait, eventually having it moved to the interior of the royal palace so that it could be regularly examined and treated. Furthermore, he allowed his heir apparent, Crown Prince Sado, and grandson, who later became King Jeongjo, to have their official prince portraits, establishing the production of prince portraits as a norm to be observed by later generations. King Yeongjo, in other words, added political significance to his own prince portrait, which was a one-time gift from his father, as a means to bolster the basis of political support for not only himself but also his successors. Through this trajectory, prince portraits came to play a critical role in the visual politics of late Joseon.