강세황 姜世晃
Late Joseon civil official, calligrapher-painter, and art critic; art name Pyoam (豹菴)
| Life | 1713 ~ 1791 |
| Era | 조선 |
| Clan | 진주 강씨 |
Life & career
Of the Jinju Kang clan, he was born in Seoul. Entering officialdom late in life, he served as Minister of Rites and Governor of Hanseong (Hanseongbu Panyun), and during King Jeongjo's reign he traveled to Qing China as an envoy, gaining fame for his calligraphy and painting.
He was called a master of the "three perfections" (samjeol, 三絶) of poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and as the teacher of Kim Hong-do, Sin Wi, and others, he had a great influence on the 18th-century Joseon art world. Attempting diverse styles such as true-view landscape (jingyeong sansu), genre painting, and the introduction of Western painting techniques, and leaving art criticism, he was called the "chief of the garden of arts (yewon, 藝苑)."
His representative works include a self-portrait (Treasure No. 590) and Yeongtongdonggu (View of the Entrance to Yeongtong Valley), and his literary collection Pyoam Yugo (豹菴遺稿) survives.
Grave
Jincheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
Descendants
His grandson was the poet Kang Jin (姜溍, 1807-1858).