Kim Jeong-hui

Kim Jeong hui, also romanized Kim Chonghui, was a Korean scholar, calligrapher and painter of the Joseon period who lived from 1786 to 1856 and is regarded as one of the most celebrated epigraphists and calligraphers of his era. His scholarly work focused on documentary history and ancient monumental inscriptions, and he became known for deciphering an important Silla era stele on Mount Bukhan. During years of political exile he developed the distinctive Chusa che calligraphic style through close study of ancient Korean and Chinese epitaphs, a lasting contribution to Korean epigraphy. He was also admired for his ink paintings, particularly of orchids, and his best known work, the 1844 painting Sehando, depicts a simple house framed by gnarled pines and became a collaborative scroll carrying commentary from Chinese and Korean scholars who admired it. As a scholar of the Silhak, or Practical Learning, school, he challenged rigid Neo Confucian orthodoxy and corresponded with major Chinese intellectuals including Weng Fanggang and Ruan Yuan.