Connecting Portrait Paintings by Yun Du-seo and Kang Se-hwang in the Jo- seon Dynasty with Essentialist Portraiture

This study explores the connection between portraiture approaches in qualitative methodology and Korean traditional por-trait paintings in the Joseon dynasty. Lawrence-Lightfoot's understanding, conception of Portraiture deeply inspires a seeker of truth to see the truth of an individual more deeply, to lift his understanding of an individual to a higher level. This inspired Klaus Witz to create “Essentialist Portraiture” as a methodology and a type of qualitative research that communi-cates the deep truths that a good painted portrait can communicate further. In this regard, we first present the essentialist portraiture method and then Korean traditional portraits that were popular during the Joseon Dynasty. We present Essentialist Portraiture in three parts: a general introduction, what it is like for a reader to read a good essen-tialist portrait, and how to conduct interviews, etc., with a participant that will lead to an essentialist portrait. In sequence, we examine Yun Du-seo’s unique portrait and his other paintings from Western pictorial perspectives. This paper also deals with Kang Se-hwang and explores how the personal and integrated aspects of his life and experiences are expressed in his portraits. In addition, the relationship between Rembrandt’s portrait paintings and essentialist portraiture was also pre-sented. Finally, we lay out the contexts in which those portrait paintings in the Joseon Dynasty are more likely connected to the essentialist portraiture and discuss some features that might be contributed to the pursuit of diversity in qualitative research.