[Gallery Walk] Women's Power and Men's Pride... The Desire Depicted in 'Seoljeong Shot'

From the Late Middle Ages to the Present
Featuring 76 Portraits and Self-Portraits

Just Like 'Editing' Settings in Selfies,
The Charm of Intentional Gestures and Object Exploration

A portrait of British pop singer Ed Sheeran is displayed at the exhibition "Faces of the Era, from Shakespeare to Ed Sheeran" held at the National Museum of Korea.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] American photographer Robert Cornelius maintained a motionless pose for nearly 15 minutes in the backyard of his shop in Philadelphia in October 1839, holding what could be called a "best angle" for a selfie. The single photo finally snapped is the oldest known "selfie" in the world. In terms of pose and angle, it is not much different from today's selfies. Considering that in the early 19th century, subjects had to remain exposed for about 30 minutes to take a single photograph, one can imagine how much effort he put into capturing his "life shot."

Today, with smartphones equipped with high-performance cameras widely available, it takes less than a second to take a selfie. The image quality is excellent, and through applications, one can easily modify their appearance to hide or highlight features as they wish.

Selfies have evolved alongside photographic technology. However, even before the invention of the camera, the desire for selfies was not absent. In the past, this desire was mainly satisfied through self-portraits. Those with wealth and social status hired painters to create their portraits. The exhibition "Faces of the Era, from Shakespeare to Ed Sheeran," held at the National Museum of Korea, showcases 76 portraits and self-portraits of individuals who sought to express themselves through paintings from the late Middle Ages to the present. All works were loaned from the National Portrait Gallery in the UK.

A portrait of Elizabeth I (1533?1603) painted by Nicholas Hilliard (1547?1619) in 1575. (Photo by National Museum of Korea)

A woman stands dressed in luxurious clothing adorned with hundreds of pearls on her pale skin. Her sharp nose and firmly closed lips, along with broad shoulders, convey a strong masculinity. At a glance, one can tell she is of high status. This is a portrait of Elizabeth I (1533?1603) painted in 1575 by British portrait artist Nicholas Hilliard (1547?1619). Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, ruled England for 45 years and laid the foundation for the British Empire.

Elizabeth I openly displayed power, authority, and wealth through her portrait. The red rose she holds in her right hand symbolizes the Tudor dynasty, her family. It conveys her firm resolve to protect her lineage in the future. Elizabeth I, who famously said, "I am married to my country," also placed subtle hints emphasizing her virginity throughout the portrait. Pearls symbolize purity, and the phoenix decoration represents virginity and rebirth. Her intention to express both royal authority and the image of a pure woman is evident.

A portrait of Winston Churchill (1874?1965), who was the British Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1927, painted by British artist Walter Sickert (1860?1942).

Nowadays, if you don't like a selfie, you can simply retake it, but how was it in the past? Since models had to spend as much time on the artwork as the painters, the disappointment must have been greater if the desired portrait did not come out as expected. When handed a portrait with the words "I painted your face in my mind," only to find a strange image that bore no resemblance to their appearance, one might have felt disappointed, thinking "This is all you think of me."

British painter Walter Sickert (1860?1942) gave painting lessons at the home of Winston Churchill (1874?1965), then the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, in 1927. One day, he presented Churchill with a portrait he had painted. In the painting, Churchill was depicted not as a threatening politician but as an eager student. His face was unusually large, occupying two-thirds of the canvas. Churchill disliked the portrait and reportedly gave it away to someone else immediately after receiving it as a gift.

Self-portrait completed by Joshua Reynolds (1723?1792) between 1747 and 1749.

About ten self-portraits are displayed in this exhibition. Self-portraits reveal how artists view themselves and how they wish to be perceived by others. Just as selfies can be "edited" or "posed," self-portraits often include deliberately arranged gestures or surrounding objects that add to their appeal.

Joshua Reynolds (1723?1792), a leading British portrait painter of the 18th century, completed a self-portrait between 1747 and 1749, which is one of his early works expressing his confidence as an artist. The artist stands before the canvas, holding a palette and brushes in one hand. With the other hand, he shades his eyes and gazes into the distance. His expression reveals his assurance in his talent and future.