''Portrait of a Beauty'' () is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yun-su. Adapted from the bestselling novel ''Painter of the Wind'' () by

Lee Jung-myung Lee Jung-myung is a South Korean writer. A popular writer of historical fiction, his books have sold millions of copies in his native country. Several of his books have been adapted into successful TV miniseries, e.g. '' The Deep-Rooted Tree'' ( ...

, the film portrays Joseon-era painter

Sin Yun-bok Shin Yun-bok, better known by his pen name Hyewon (1758–1813), was a Korean painter of the Joseon Dynasty. Like his contemporaries Danwon and Geungjae, he is known for his realistic depictions of daily life in his time. His genre paintings are ...

(better known by his pen name, Hyewon) as being a woman disguised as a man. ''Portrait of a Beauty'' opened in South Korean theaters on 13 November 2008. It was the 8th most attended domestic film of 2008 with 2,364,482 tickets sold.

Plot

Retired court painter Sin Han-pyeong seeks to settle an old score with the most sought-after painter of that time,

Kim Hong-do Gim Hongdo (김홍도, born 1745, died 1806?-1814?), also known as Kim Hong-do, most often styled Danwon (단원), was a full-time painter of the Joseon period of Korea. He was together a pillar of the establishment and a key figure of the new ...

(

Kim Young-ho Kim Young-ho (born April 9, 1971 in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea) is a South Korean foil fencer. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, he won the gold medal in individual foil, defeating Ralf Bissdorf of Germany Germany,, ...

). Sin raises his son to surpass Kim Hong-do, but his son commits suicide over his lack of talent. The father then pushes his daughter Yun-jeong to disguise herself as her brother and enter the world of court painters. The grown-up Yun-jeong ( Kim Gyu-ri), now known under the pen name "Hyewon," finally enters the court and learns to paint under the guidance of Kim Hong-do, who is trusted by

King Jeongjo Jeongjo of Joseon (28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San (Korean language, Korean: 이산; Hanja: 李祘), sometimes called Jeongjo the Great (Korean language, Korean: 정조대왕; Hanja: 正祖大王), was the 22nd monarc ...

. Kim Hong-do quickly notices Yun-bok's huge potential as well as his girlish features. Things remain normal until Yun-bok goes out and comes across a playful seller of mirrors, Kang-mu (

Kim Nam-gil Kim Nam-gil () is a South Korean actor, producer, director, singer and philanthropist. He is best known from leading roles in disaster blockbuster '' Pandora'' (2016); crime thriller '' Memoir of a Murderer '' (2017); adventure film '' The Pira ...

). When their romantic adventure takes off, it is Kim Hong-do who ends up heartbroken. Kim's jealousy, and his desire to own Yun-bok physically and emotionally, soars to a perilous level.

Cast

* Kim Gyu-ri as

as Kang-mu * Choo Ja-hyun as Seol-hwa * Han Myeong-goo as

Park Ji-il Park Ji-il (Korean: 박지일, born September 1960) is a South Korean theatre, film and television actor. He is known for his supporting roles in various TV series and films. His better known works are: 2011 TV series '' The Thorn Birds'', 2013 ...

as Sin Han-pyeong * Kwon Byeong-gil as Kim Geo-sang * Choi Kyoo-hwan as Artist Choi * Yeo Ho-min as Artist Shim * Kim Seung-hoon as Artist Hong * Kang San as young Yun-bok

Artistic license

, better known by the pen name Hyewon, was a real historical figure who produced a host of thematically provocative and artistically excellent paintings in the 18th century. However, not one record of the painter still exists. Several art history scholars have criticized the Korean entertainment industry for distorting historical facts about the painter, who was unquestionably a man. The novel had also been adapted into the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

Painter of the Wind ''Painter of the Wind'' () is a 2008 South Korean historical television series starring Moon Geun-young and Park Shin-yang. Based on the bestselling historical fiction novel by Lee Jung-myung that took artistic license with the premise that per ...

''.

Awards and nominations

; 2009

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...

* Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Gyu-ri ;2009

Chunsa Film Art Awards The Chunsa Film Art Awards (also known as the Icheon Chunsa Film Festival) have been presented in South Korea since the founding of the prize by the Korea Film Directors' Society in 1990. The awards take their name from the pen name of the early ...

* Best Cinematography – Park Hee-ju * Best Editing –

Park Gok-ji Park Gok-ji (born 28 February 1965) is a South Korean film editor. She is married to film director Park Heung-sik, with whom she has several children, and she used her influence within the local industry to aid the production of his second film, ...

* Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun ; 2009 Grand Bell Awards * Best Cinematography – Park Hee-ju * Nomination – Best Director – Jeon Yun-su * Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Gyu-ri * Nomination – Best Supporting Actress – Choo Ja-hyun * Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Seung-gyu * Nomination – Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun * Nomination – Best Costume Design – Lee Yu-suk ; 2009 Blue Dragon Film Awards * Nomination – Best Supporting Actress – Choo Ja-hyun * Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Seung-gyu * Nomination – Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of a Beauty 2008 films 2000s historical romance films South Korean historical romance films South Korean biographical films Biographical films about painters Films set in the 18th century Films set in the Joseon dynasty Films based on South Korean novels 2000s Korean-language films 2000s biographical films 2000s South Korean films