Key takeaways
Jeong Seon (1676–1759), the painter who founded the "true-view landscape" (*jingyeong sansu*) style — depicting actual Korean scenery rather than idealized, imagined landscapes in the Chinese tradition — served as Yangcheon County magistrate from 1740 to 1745, starting the post at age 65. Fact During this period he painted the Han River and surrounding scenery as seen from Mount Gungsan, producing two signature works: *Beacon Fire at Anhyeon*, depicting a signal-fire tower across the river at Anhyeon (in today's Seodaemun-gu, at Mount Ansan), and *Moonrise Over the Han from Soakru*, depicting the moon rising over the river as viewed from the pavilion at Mount Gungsan. Fact
What to look for on site
- *Beacon Fire at Anhyeon* and *Moonrise Over the Han from Soakru*, on display at the Gyeomjae Jeongseon Art Museum (confirm whether these are originals or reproductions)
- The difference between the composition in the paintings and the actual terrain today
- The volume of work a 65-year-old magistrate produced over five years
Original, site-only, restored, or recreated?
- Site only: the actual vantage points toward the Han River and Mount Ansan that Jeong Seon painted from — the terrain and urban development have changed these views substantially from what he saw. Fact
- Recreation: the exhibits and reproduction works inside the Gyeomjae Jeongseon Art Museum (confirm separately where the original works are actually held) — these may be recreations or reproductions rather than the originals.