Fish by a riverbank rock in autum, signed Imjeon (Jo Jeong-gyu, 1791 - after 1868)

Description:

Korea, late Joseon Dynasty, 19th century
113 x 30 cm (149 x 40,3 cm R.)
Ink and light colours on paper, mounted in silk and stretched over a wooden frame. Vertical composition in Jo Jeong-gyu's characteristic manner depicting a large fish and a school of smaller fish in the water beside a moss-covered riverbank rock, surmounted by a gnarled, ascending branch with autumn foliage. At upper righ signed: Imjeon (琳田), followed by a square red artist’s seal in seal script: Imjeon.
From an old European private collection - Age-related patina, creases and minor repairs, silk mount with water stains, the hanji paper backing on the reverse side over the wooden frame brittle and with tears
Jo Jeong-gyu (sobriquet Imjeon) was one of the foremost painters of the late Joseon dynasty and served as a court painter (hwawon), participating in the execution of official royal portraits. He achieved particular renown for his lively depictions of fish and crabs (eohae-do), a stylistic tradition he passed down through his grandson, the celebrated court painter Jo Seok-jin (Sorim). Works by Jo Jeong-gyu are preserved in major public collections, including the National Museum of Korea in Seoul