This inkwash landscape painting is accompanied by a long written text that fills the lower half of the silk scroll. The painting shows a river flowing in the foreground with cascading mountain peaks in the background. Some people with a boat seem to have just arrived at the riverside, and are now passing by a pavilion and entering through a gate. At the top of the image is the title, Jeong Yeochang’s Villa in Hwagae (花開縣舊莊圖), meticulously written in seal script. Located in Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Hwagae is now best known as the site of Hwagae Market. The first part of the text at the bottom, on the far right side, extols the beauty of Hwagae:

The slender leaves of the irises sway back and forth in the breeze,
And the April barley is already ripening in Hwagae.
Having traveled through countless bends and turns of Jirisan Mountain,
I find myself alone on a boat, drifting down the Seomjin River.

風蒲泛泛弄輕柔 四月花開麥已秋
看盡頭流千萬疊 孤舟又下大江流.

Written by Jeong Yeochang (1450–1504), these verses are from the “Poem of Agyang” (岳陽詩), which refers to Agyang-myeon in Hadong. Thus, we can now see that the mountain in the painting is Jirisan Mountain, and the river is a branch of the Seomjin River.

The text on the lower half of the scroll contains two transcribed poems about the landscape depicted in the painting, along with an annotation written by Shin Ikseong (1588–1644) in 1643. Shin Ikseong was a gifted poet and calligrapher, as well as the son-in-law of King Seonjo (r. 1567–1608). He was particularly renowned for regular script calligraphy written in small size, a talent that recalled famous Chinese calligraphers such as Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. In the text, the two transcribed poems are (from right) the aforementioned “Poem of Agyang” by Jeong Yeochang and “Preface for poem of Agyangjeong Pavilion” (岳陽亭詩敍) by Yu Hoin (1445–1494), which are followed by a description of the painting’s production.

What type of person was Jeong Yeochang, who owned the villa in this painting? He studied under Kim Jongjik (1431–1492) and passed the civil service examination in 1490, during the reign of King Seongjong (r. 1469–1494). He then held various official positions, many of which were related to literary and educational matters, such as Editorial Examiner in the Office of Royal Decrees, Royal Lecturer in the Office of Royal Lectures, and Magistrate of Aneum County. After the death of his mother around 1486, Jeong Yeochang retreated to Jirisan Mountain. Living in Agyang, he dedicated himself to contemplating the origins of Neo-Confucian thought. He is often mentioned alongside other prominent Neo-Confucian scholars—such as Kim Goengpil (1454–1504), Jo Gwangjo (1482–1519), Yi Eonjeok (1491–1553), and Yi Hwang (1501–1570)—all of whom played significant roles in the development of Neo-Confucianism in Joseon. However, during the First Literati Purge of 1498, Jeong Yeochang was exiled to Jongseong, Hamgyeong-do Province, where he died in 1504.

Afterward, during the reign of King Jungjong (r. 1506–1544), Jeong Yeochang was posthumously appointed as the Third State Councilor. He was also enshrined in Neo-Confucian academies such as Gyeonghyeon Seowon in Naju, Donam Seowon in Sangju, and Namgye Seowon in Hamyang. Around 1643, scholars at Namgye Seowon started a project to commemorate Jeong Yeochang. They decided to create a painting of Agyangjeong Pavilion, which is something that Jeong Yeochang had hoped to do in his lifetime, but had not been able to accomplish. Yi Mu (1600–1684) shared the scholars’ intentions with Shin Ikseong, who expressed his sympathy, saying, “Although we are now many years removed from Jeong Yeochang’s generation, his teachings shine brighter than ever. It is admirable that you want to remember him and his legacy with a painting.” Shin Ikseong then commissioned Yi Jing (1581–after 1653), the finest painter of the time, to produce the painting.

Yi Jing was the son of Yi Gyeongyun (1545–1611), an acclaimed literati painter of the mid-Joseon period and member of the royal family. Yi Jing became a court painter while in his twenties, and later taught at the Bureau of Painting under King Injo (r. 1623–1645). He produced a wide variety of paintings, including landscapes, paintings of animals, and paintings of the “four gracious plants.”

In response to Shin Ikseong’s request, Yi Jing, who was sixty-two years old, painted his own vision of Jeong Yeochang’s pavilion and villa, which no longer existed. The master painter combined the landscape style of the An Gyeon school, which had been influential from the early Joseon period, with elements of the Zhe school that were popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. To be specific, the structured composition of the landscape and sense of open space reflect the An Gyeon school, while the angular contoured lines of the rocks and overall contrast between light and dark areas show the more relaxed style of the Zhe school.

Yi Jing’s skill at portraying peaceful landscapes can also be seen in his painting Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, which depicts eight scenic vistas in southern China, where the Xiao and Xiang Rivers converge. This classic landscape theme, which was meant to embody an ideal Arcadia, was popular from the early Joseon period. Both paintings showcase Yi Jing’s characteristic techniques, including the structured composition, the use of ink to soften the contrast between cliffs and rocks, and the small dots on the outlines. Jeong Yeochang’s Villa in Hwagae simultaneously conveys the sentiments of a man who wished to withdraw from the world and live in nature and the heartfelt desire of scholars to commemorate their revered predecessor. Jeong Yeochang often reminisced about the beauty of Agyang to his fellow government official Yu Hoin, who thus composed a poem about Agyangjeong Pavilion to express his friend’s wishes:

I feel a deep longing to return to Agyang, where everything is clear and serene beneath the southern sky.
The vivid landscape enlivens the spirit, whereas the meaningless toil of government work brings only weariness.
The spring sun is warm in the forests and ponds of Dugok, and rain clouds drift over the mountains in the evening at Wang Yu’s retreat.
In the Office of Lectures for the Crown Prince, I am busy giving lectures three times a day. Meanwhile, in front of Agyangjeong Pavilion, the empty boat is filled only with moonlight.

一掬歸心天盡頭 岳陽無處不淸幽
雲泉歷歷偏供興 軒冕悠悠惹起愁.
杜曲林塘春日暖 輞川煙雨暮山浮
書筵每被催三接 辜負亭前月滿舟.

Jeong Yeochang’s Villa in Hwagae harmoniously combines Yi Jing’s tranquil landscape painting, the poems of Jeong Yeochang and Yu Hoin, and the elegant calligraphy of Shin Ikseong. Uniting the three traditional arts of poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and also having historical significance, this work was designated as a Treasure in 1990. Although Agyangjeong Pavilion has now disappeared, the legacy of Jeong Yeochang, an esteemed teacher with a spirit and reputation as towering and unwavering as Jirisan Mountain and Seomjin River, will live on in the hearts and minds of all future scholars who gaze upon this painting.