A life between duty and the brush Chae Yongsin lived through a period of profound change in Korea. Born in Seoul, he began his adult years far from the quietude of a studio, serving as a military officer. This background in the military was part of a family tradition of officials belonging to the yangban, or ruling gentry. In 1901, his path shifted when he was appointed as a royal portraitist. The transition from soldier to painter brought him into the presence of Emperor Gojong. The emperor noticed how Chae captured life with a precision that felt almost like a photograph, yet remained roote…