Portrait of the Great Master Seosan

In the pictureWithin a mounting of red patterned silk, a shaven-headed old monk sits on a wooden chair, facing forward. He wears a red sash over a pale brown robe and holds prayer beads or a fly whisk in his hand. Below the chair is a footstool on which a pair of shoes has been set, and the background is a plain pale color.

BackgroundThe Great Master Seosan, Hyujeong (1520–1604), was an eminent monk who, during the Imjin War (the Japanese invasions of Korea), gathered monk soldiers from across the country to fight the Japanese army when he was over seventy. In late Joseon temples, portraits of great masters were painted and enshrined in a patriarchs' hall, where memorial rites were held; such paintings are called jinyeong. The seated, frontal pose and the shoes on the footstool are fixed conventions of the jinyeong.

Puzzle tipThe background is plain, so the pieces along the figure's outline are key. Fit the face, the red sash, the black edges of the chair and the shoes below first, and join the pale robe pieces following the lines of the folds. The red patterned pieces of the mounting are at the edges, so they are easy. 48 pieces is about right.