In 1751, the esteemed artist Jeong Seon (1676–1759), who was seventy-five years old, painted his masterpiece Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang (仁王霽色圖), which shows the majestic mountain shrouded in mist after rainfall. Moving ahead 270 years to April 2021, the treasured painting was donated to the National Museum of Korea by the family of the late Lee Kun-Hee (1942–2020), chairman of Samsung, so that it could finally receive the recognition that it so richly deserves.

There are three short lines of writing on the upper right of the painting. The first line (from right) reads “仁王霽色,” which means “Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang.” The next line, “謙齋,” is Jeong Seon’s penname, “Gyeomjae,” while the final line, “辛未閏月下浣,” provides the production date, “late Lunar May, Sinmi year,” which is July 1751 in the Roman calendar. Below the writing, the paper is stamped with two seals: the upper seal reads “鄭敾,” or “Jeong Seon,” while the lower seal bears his courtesy name “元伯,” or “Wonbaek.” Thus, the artist himself thoughtfully labeled this painting, clearly documenting the subject, artist, and date, which was not common practice at the time. Measuring 79.2 cm in height and 138.0 cm in width, this is one of the largest extant paintings of the Joseon period. With its enlarged size, rare inscription, and advanced artistry, this painting seems to have held special significance for Jeong Seon.

Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang is widely revered as a representative work of Korean traditional painting, but its greatness cannot be quickly summarized in a word or two. It is not highly realistic in terms of precisely mirroring its subject, nor does it boast exquisite or flashy brushwork or eye-catching details. Even so, it never fails to captivate viewers, largely because of Jeong Seon’s remarkable ability to evoke a sense of space, depth, and reality using only ink.

When you stand before the painting, a virtual space seems to open, as if the mountain is unfolding in front of you. If you start at the bottom of the painting and let your eyes drift upwards with the misty clouds, you will be struck to find a tower of black rock at the top. This is Chimabawi, the main peak of Mount Inwang, which is 338.2 meters in height. Thus, the painting superbly conveys a powerful sense of scale, evoking the awestruck sensation one gets when looking up at the real Mount Inwang from a nearby spot.

Jeong Seon painted Chimabawi with a brush that was saturated with thick ink, giving the rock a moist, dark appearance that resonates with a tangible sense of presence. The landscape around Chimabawi, with its undulating highs and lows, is similarly depicted in a bold and straightforward way. Jeong Seon used less brushwork on the rock, making it stand out in stark contrast to the shaded valleys, where he used the brush more liberally. He quickly painted trees here and there, and added dots to enhance the surface of the mountain. By using varying amounts of ink on the brush and alternating between rough and delicate strokes, he infused the composition with a striking sense of depth and space.

Gazing at this painting, you will come to understand the old record that describes Jeong Seon’s paintings as “robust, majestic, boundless, and full of vitality” (壯健雄渾浩汗淋漓). In fact, if you stare long enough, you might even see the misty clouds come to life and slowly drift across the cragged peaks. In particular, the mist between the house at the bottom and the ridges of the mountain seems to be billowing and rising. This uncanny sensation is part of what makes Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang so captivating.

During the Joseon period, many people who lived in the capital must have been familiar with the sight of mist on Mount Bugak in the morning and the sunset over Mount Inwang in the evening. But although Mount Inwang has many scenic spots, it was not commonly depicted in traditional landscapes. Jeong Seon was born and lived much of his life in the area that is now Cheongun-dong, between Mount Inwang and Mount Bugak, before moving to Ogin-dong at the foot of Mount Inwang in 1727, at the age of fifty-one. Thus, Mount Inwang must have held a prominent place in his mind. Even so, this depiction of the mountain is not necessarily true to reality. In the painting, for example, Chimabawi appears taller than it actually is. Also, the streams on either side of Chimabawi, which seem to represent Suseongdong Valley and Cheongpunggye Valley (respectively), which fill with water when it rains, are not actually visible from such a distance. It seems that Jeong Seon creatively adjusted certain details in order to make Mount Inwang look even more magnificent.

Unfortunately, there are no known records explaining Jeong Seon’s reasons for making this painting. Thus, through the years, scholars have debated whom the painting may have been intended for, offering different interpretations based primarily on the identity of the house at the bottom.

Some have suggested that the house belonged to Jeong Seon’s lifelong friend Yi Byeongyeon (1671–1751), and that Jeong Seon painted it to wish for Yi’s recovery from illness, as symbolized by the theme of a cleansing mountain rain. Another perspective is that the house belonged to Yi Chunje (1692–1761), the major patron of Jeong Seon, who may have commissioned the work. Others have speculated that the painting depicts Jeong Seon’s own house, or the house of his maternal grandfather, and that he painted it for himself as a personal tribute to Mount Inwang. It is also possible that the house had little or nothing to do with the purpose or recipient of the painting, and was simply part of the landscape that Jeong Seon chose to include in the scene. While we may never know Jeong Seon’s precise reasons for creating the painting, it certainly confirms the special place that Mount Inwang held in his heart.

If Jeong Seon indeed painted this artwork for himself, we can try to imagine his state of mind at the time. As the eldest son, Jeong Seon had been responsible for his family since his teenage years, following his father’s early death, and he faced many hardships in his youth. He was not recognized as a painter until he reached his thirties, and did not obtain a government position until the age of forty. After finally finding success as a painter, the commissions flowed in and his life was greatly enriched. Nevertheless, the news of his friend Yi Byeongyeon’s illness must have weighed heavily on him. Like anyone who learns that a close friend is seriously ill, he inevitably must have imagined himself being in the same position someday. Such thoughts occur even in young people, but Jeong Seon was in his mid-seventies at the time. Thus, while Yi Byeongyeon was battling illness, Jeong Seon was likely reflecting back on his own life. His thoughts would naturally have returned to Mount Inwang, the place where his gaze, footsteps, and memories resided. Furthermore, Cheongpunggye in Mount Inwang was home to the elders of the Andong Kim clan, who had guided and supported Jeong Seon. In this contemplative state, Jeong Seon fondly recalled Mount Inwang, a place that had played such a crucial role in his life, capturing a special moment after rain in the painting that is now revered as his greatest masterpiece.