This portrait depicts a high-ranking member of the Joseon government, dressed in his official attire with hands folded inside the sleeves of robe. The subject is Heo Mok (1595–1682), a member of the Yangcheon Heo clan who rose to the rank of Third State Councilor. He was also known by his courtesy names “Munbo” (文甫) or “Hwabo” (和甫), or by his penname “Misu” (眉叟, meaning “old man’s eyebrows”), which he gave himself because of his long eyebrows. After his death, he was granted the posthumous title “Munjeong” (文正). As a prominent scholar and political leader of the Namin faction, Heo Mok was greatly revered in his lifetime. It is said that he maintained a noble and dignified appearance throughout his life, transcending worldly concerns. This portrait is a copy of the original, which was produced during his lifetime.

The motivation for producing this copy of Heo Mok’s portrait is clearly explained in the annotation above the painting. In 1794 (eighteenth year of King Jeongjo’s reign), King Jeongjo ordered Chae Jegong (1720–1799) to discuss the creation of Heo Mok’s portrait with other literati officials. Thus, in July of that year, Chae Jegong had Heo Mok’s portrait, which shows him at the age of eighty-two, brought from Eungeodang (residence bestowed upon Heo Mok by King Sukjong) and commissioned Yi Myeonggi (b. 1756), the most renowned painter of the time, to make this copy.

This type of portrait, showing only the head and upper torso, is known as a “bust portrait.” Heo Mok is wearing a black official’s hat and a light pink official’s robe with no rank badge. However, the belt made from rhinoceros horn affirms that the wearer is an official of the highest rank. Heo Mok’s face is turned slightly to the right, revealing the left side of his face and left ear. Befitting his nickname, his eyebrows are extremely long. The upper eyelids are outlined with black, with brown lines around them representing wrinkles, while the lower eyelids are rendered in brown lines, with the eyelashes drawn last. The irises of the eyes are painted with dark gold, and blue lines were added to the outer part of the pupils to capture the stoic gaze of the sitter. The beard and mustache seem to be gently fluttering around the dark red lips, conveying a nice sense of movement. The light pink robe is outlined with darker lines of pink, and then further highlighted with additional lines of gray, effectively emphasizing his lean figure. The original portrait of Heo Mok has not survived. Thus, even though this copy was not painted during his lifetime, it is still an invaluable work providing a lifelike depiction of the revered scholar in his later years.

This copy of Portrait of Heo Mok was painted in 1794, during the peak period for Joseon portraiture when techniques for realistic depiction had become highly advanced. Indeed, to this day, this portrait is still highly regarded for its lifelike portrayal of Heo Mok. In particular, the lean physique, cool gaze, and fluttering beard are said to capture the essential character of Heo Mok, who strictly adhered to his principles without compromise.

In the mid-seventeenth century, the preparations for the funeral of King Hyojong (r. 1649–1659) provoked a heated debate between the Namin faction and Seoin faction of the literati, who primarily disagreed about the length of time that Queen Jangryeol should wear her mourning clothing. Eventually, the Seoin faction (who argued for a one-year mourning period) prevailed in the conflict. As a result, Heo Mok, who belonged to the Namin faction, was demoted from the central government to Samcheok. At the age of sixty-five, Heo Mok moved to Samcheok, where he served as magistrate for two years before retiring to Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province.

Despite being demoted to an outlying province at a relatively old age for reasons that were arguably unjust, Heo Mok did not become despondent or lackadaisical. On the contrary, he worked actively to enact and enforce self-governing regulations for the town of Samcheok, with the goal of promoting moral behavior, punishing wrongdoing, and encouraging mutual support within the community. He also compiled Records of Samcheok (陟州誌), which documents the town’s history and conditions. While in office, he had to deal with severe disasters when the town was inundated by large waves or tides, which caused rivers to become blocked and flooded.

In fact, Heo’s strong desire to assuage the fierce waters inspired him to write a poem called “Ode to the East Sea” (東海頌), which he later had inscribed on a stele, written in his highly unique seal script calligraphy. Supposedly, after the stele was erected, the flooding in Samcheok subsided, and even when the seas rose, they did not reach the level of the stele. Heo Mok’s handwritten manuscript of the inscription was compiled in Album with the Manuscript of the East Sea Stele Inscription (手稿本 東海碑帖), which is twenty-seven pages long. Designated as a Treasure, this album is a representative example of Heo Mok’s seal script, and thus holds great significance in the history of calligraphy.

After retiring to Yeoncheon, Heo Mok devoted his efforts to scholarship and mentoring students. But then around 1674, during the early years of King Sukjong’s reign, the Seoin faction fell from power and the Namin faction rose again. The leader of the Namin faction at the time was Heo Jeok (1610–1680), who showed his support for former Namin figures like Heo Mok and Yun Hyu (1617–1680). As a result, Heo Mok returned to prominence, holding prestigious positions such as Inspector-General, Minister of Personnel, and eventually, Third State Councilor. However, the Namin faction then became divided over the issue of how severely to punish the Seoin faction, with some (including Heo Mok) advocating for harsh penalties and others arguing for a more lenient approach. In the course of this conflict, Heo Mok filed a petition to impeach Heo Jeok in 1679, but the petition was rejected, causing Heo Mok to resign from his post and once again retreat to Yeoncheon. As a show of respect for the elder statesman, King Sukjong gave Heo Mok a house in Yeoncheon, which Heo Mok named Eungeodang. He spent his remaining years there in quiet contemplation, before his death in 1682 at the age of eighty-seven.

The following poem, entitled “Words of Caution Against Careless Joy and Anger” (戒懼喜怒之戒二十言), can be found in volume 23 of Notes (記言), a collection of Heo Mok’s writings:

妄喜, 恥隨之 If you rejoice carelessly, you will end up feeling ashamed.
妄怒, 詬隨之 If you anger carelessly, dishonor will follow.
喜怒者, 恥詬之媒, 愼戒必敬 Do not give in to joy or anger lightly; instead, be cautious and respectful.

There is an extant copy of this poem, with masterful calligraphy in gold paint, that is believed to have been written by Heo Mok himself the year of his death. This poem perfectly expresses the steadfast resolve of Heo Mok. In a world where many people are prone to fluctuate between intense joys and sorrows, Portrait of Heo Mok, with its stern posture and expression, elegantly suggests that we control our emotions and practice moderation.