sels, 1963), vol. i, pp. 181, under no. 114; 183, under no.
115; 231-232, under no. 147; H. Vlieghe, Saints, pt. 2,
Corpus Rubenianum Ludwig Burchard, vol. 8 (Lon-
don, 1973), p. 31, underno. iO4b;F. Stampfle, Rubensand
Rembrandt in Their Century, exh. cat., Pierpont Morgan
Library, New York, 1979, pp. 52-53, under no. 18;
K. L. Belkin, The Costume Book, Corpus Rubenianum
Ludwig Burchard, vol. 24 (Brussels, 1980), p. 51, n. 62;
J. S. Held, The Oil Sketches ofPieter Paul Rubens (Prince-
ton, 1980), vol. i, p. 561, underno. 408; "Who was Ko-
rean Model for Rubens," Korea News Review, December
10 , 1983, p. 25; J. S. Held, Rubens: Selected Drawings
(Mt. Kisco, 1986), pp. 119, no. 130; 120, underno. 131;
231, pi. 133-
THIS IMPOSING PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN FORMAL
Korean costume was used by Rubens as the basis for one
of the central figures in his painting The Miracles of Saint
Francis Xavier (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, inv.
3H).^1 This was first proposed by Burchard and d'Hulst
(1956, no. 66) and has since been accepted by the majority
of specialists, including Held (1986, p. 120). In the pre-
liminary oil sketch (Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum,
inv. 528), the similarly placed figure is represented alto-
gether differently, indicating that between the execution
of the oil sketch (before April 13, 1617) and the final de-
sign for the painting (circa 1617—1618) Rubens encoun-
tered this individual, drew the portrait, and used it in his
final version of the painted composition. There is no rea-
son to believe that the sheet was made as a preparatory
study; rather, it appears to be an independent drawing
that inspired the somewhat differently posed man in the
painting. It is noteworthy that while most scholars have
seen the Korean Man as related to the painted figure in
terms of costume, only Burchard and d'Hulst (1963, vol.
i, p. 183) have observed that the faces correspond as well,
a point that is certainly correct and that underscores the
direct relationship between the two.
It is difficult to ascertain how Rubens came into con-
tact with a Korean man since contact between Europe
and Korea was almost nonexistent in his time. However,
at least one documented case of a Korean living in Italy
is known, and it is possible that the man depicted in the
drawing came with a Chinese mission.^2 The small boat
sketched in the left background would appear to empha-
size his having been a visitor from a distant place.
Since the time of Wortley's basic article (1934-
1935), the Korean Man has been considered as part of a
group of five drawings of comparable size and medium,
the other four representing Caucasian men in Chinese
costume. Wortley associated them all with a Jesuit festi-val of 1622 and dismissed the connection between the
orean Man and the figure in The Miracles of Saint Francis
avier (1934-1935, p. 44). The first to propose that the
orean Man may have been drawn earlier than the other
our were Burchard and d'Hulst (1963, vol. i, p. 232).
The subject is the only one of the five to be shown
n a full spatial context with a background. The others
Wortley 1934-1935, pis. 42-45) are looser in style, with
he exception of the drawing in the Robert Smith collec-
ion, Washington, D.C. (Wortley 1934-1935, pi. 44),
hich appears to be an autograph replica of the more
apid study in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (inv.
344i; Wortley 1934-1935, pi. 43).^3 The remaining two
rawings, in the art market, New York, and the Pierpont
organ Library (inv. m, 179; Wortley 1934-1935, pis.
2 , 44) are quite linear in style, as is the Stockholm sheet.
iven these differences, it is likely that Burchard and
'Hulst were correct in situating these four studies in the
id-1620s, well after the Korean Man.
The Museum's drawing is remarkably exact in the
endering of details of drapery and especially in the face,
here rich highlights were added by Rubens in red. The
heet's graphic character underscores the likelihood that
t is an independent portrait drawing.^4. The precise nature of the costume is explained as "a kind of
ourning dress worn by Korean gentlemen" in a letter to the
uthor of December i, 1983, from M. Jaffe, who refers to the
pinion of the Korean ambassador to London as the source of
his information. In an article in the Korea News Review (1983,
. 25), kindly sent to the author by Jaffe, the anonymous author
tates that unnamed historians consider the costume to be typ-
cal formal dress worn by Yi dynasty commoners at formal
unctions. First to note that the costume is Korean was B. Gray
Wortley 1934-1935, p. 42, n. i).
. "Who Was Korean Model.. ." (1983). The Korean taken to
taly arrived there in 1598 as a boy and took the name Antonio
orea.
. Given the autograph notes on the sheet (as well as a thin,
inear marginal sketch of the same subject at the top left margin
hich is fully characteristic of the artist), there is no substantial
eason to believe that the Smith drawing is by anyone other
han Rubens. Its more labored character results from the fact
hat it is a replica.
. A copy of the head of the Korean Man appears in a drawing
n red chalk in the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
inv. v, 64). There is also an engraving after the drawing, dated
une 17, 1774, and done by Captain William Baillie while the
atter was in the collection of R. Willett. The print is inscribed
he Siamese Ambassador who attended the Court ofK. Charles the
st. Rubens made the above described drawing before he left England.
nno 1630.
K X K f i ( t t w r G d M 4 G d m r w s i 1 m a o t p s i f ( 2 I C 3 l w r t t 4 i ( J l T i A212 FLEMISH SCHOOL • RUBENS