Portrait of Yun Dongseom (1710–1795)

In the pictureAn old man wearing a black official's hat and a deep navy robe patterned with clouds sits on a chair draped with a tiger skin. Two cranes are embroidered on the rank badge on his chest, and his feet rest neatly on a patterned footstool. His white beard and wrinkled face are drawn with very fine lines, unlike the bold patterns of his robe.

BackgroundYun Dongseom (1710–1795) was a civil official under Kings Yeongjo and Jeongjo. The double-crane rank badge marks a civil official of the senior ranks, and the tiger-skin chair was a convention used in portraits of high officials. Late Joseon portraiture is famous for rendering age spots, wrinkles and skin tone without flattery, under the principle that "if even a single hair is different, it is not that person," and that attitude can be seen in the face in this painting too.

Puzzle tipThe cloud patterns of the robe take up most of the picture, which makes the puzzle confusing. First fix the pieces in other colors, such as the face, the rank badge and the footstool, and fit the robe pieces by following the direction in which the light lines of the pattern continue. The pale silk-colored background pieces can be filled in from both side edges.