Kim Hong-do

Kim Hong-do (, 1745–) was a Korean painter during the Joseon dynasty. He is mostly remembered for his depictions of the everyday life of ordinary people, in a manner analogous to painters of the Dutch Golden Age. He was also widely known by his art name Danwon ().

Active during the reign of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo, he made a profound change in Joseon painting style. By boldly introducing Western painting methods that appeared to have been learned through the Qing Dynasty, he introduced a technique that revealed perspective through jokes and contrasts of colors.

Biography

Kim was a member of the Gimhae Kim clan. He grew up in present-day Ansan, South Korea. At the age of 7, Kim Hong-do studied under the renowned master Pyoam Kang Se-hwang, who was then living in seclusion in Ansan. In 1766, at the age of 21, on the recommendation of Kang Sehwang, he entered the royal service as a member (hwawon) of the Dohwaseo, the official painters of the Joseon court. In 1771, he painted the portrait of the Royal Heir (the future King Jeongjo). In 1773, he assisted Byeon Sang-byeok when painting the Royal Portrait of King Yeongjo (1694–1724–1776).

In 1776, he painted the "Nineteen Taoist Immortals", that skyrocketed his reputation as a painter. At the same time, the new instated King Jeongjo (1752–1776–1800) commissioned him for many institutional paintings.

He died in loneliness and poverty, though the circumstances, and even the year are unknown. Depending on the source, some state that he died in 1806, 1810,Britannica. or after 1814.

Legacy

Kim is remembered today as one of the "Three Wons," together with Hyewon and Owon. He is also often joined to Owon and the 15th-century painter An Gyeon as one of Joseon's three greatest painters.

The city of Ansan, where he spent his youth and learned his craft, has memorialized him in many ways. The district of Danwon-gu is named after him, as is Ansan's annual "Danwon Art Festival." Many public places have been designed in imitation of his works.

Gallery

Various sources have various opinions about what could be a 'top ten' list for Kim Hong-do. The most important fact is how successful was Kim Hong-do in all the various types of paintings.

Towooart provides a short notice and an argumented selection of paintings. The Korean Copyright Commission lists 757 paintings, 7 calligraphies and 4 moldings for Kim Hong-do. Some paintings have multiple descriptions: often a sepia version is given with a very fine resolution, and a colorful one with a lower resolution. An example is "Feast for the Pyongyang Governor" (평양감사 향안도).

* The paintings that launched the reputation of Kim Hongdo.

* 'Literati' paintings.

Image:ChongSeokJeong.jpg, ChongSeokJeong
Image:Hwangmyo.jpg, A cat and a butterfly
Hwangmyonongjeopdo
Image:Songhamaenghodo.jpg, Tiger under a pine tree
Songhamaenghodo
Image:Kim Hong-do, Songhachwisaengdo.jpg, Drunkard under a tree
Songhachwisaengdo
Image:죽하맹호도.jpg, Tiger underneath a Bamboo
Jukhamenghodo

* Official paintings

* The designated painter of the King

* "Genre paintings". Among them, the album Danwon pungsokdo provides a serie of 25 paintings. Here are only four of them:

Image:Danwon-Seodang.jpg, Teacher and pupils
Seodang (서당:書堂)
Image:Danwon-Mudong.jpg, Dancing boy
Mudong (무동:舞童)
Image:Danwon-Bbalrae.teo.jpg, Washing place
Bbalraeteo (빨래터:漂母)
Image:Danwon-Daejanggan.jpg,

* After 1800 and the death of King Jeongjo.

In popular culture

Literature

The novel ''Painter of the Wind'', by Lee Jung-myung, is centered on Gim and Sin Yun-bok, who is portrayed as a woman disguised as a man.

Film and television

* Portrayed by Park Shin-yang in the 2008 SBS TV series ''Painter of the Wind''.Mysterious Artist Resurfaces on Modern Culture Scene
Korea Times, 2008-10-09. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
* Portrayed by Kim Young-ho in the 2008 film ''Portrait of a Beauty''.
* Portrayed by Kim Da-hyun in the 2011 SBS TV series ''Warrior Baek Dong-soo''.

See also

*Danwon pungsokdo cheop
*Korean painting
*List of Korean painters

References

Bibliography

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External links

Encyclopedia of Korean culture-Kim Hong doArts of Korea
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Kim Hong-do

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Hong-do
1745 births
19th-century deaths
18th-century Korean painters
Gimhae Kim clan
18th-century Korean poets
People from Ansan