Kim Hong-do (Korean: 김홍도, 1745–c.1806 to 1814) 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.[1] He was also widely known by his art nameDanwon (단원).
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.[2]
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.[3] In 1766, at the age of 21, on the recommendation of Kang Sehwang,[4] 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,[5] 1810,[6] or after 1814.[1][4]
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.[7]
Various sources have various opinions about what could be a 'top ten' list for Kim Hong-do.[5][6] 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.[8] The Korean Copyright Commission lists 757 paintings, 7 calligraphies and 4 moldings for Kim Hong-do.[9] 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.
신언인도 (1773) Indian Prophet
Gunseondo 군선도 (1776) The Nineteen Taoist Immortals
'Literati' paintings.
ChongSeokJeong
A cat and a butterfly Hwangmyonongjeopdo
Tiger under a pine tree Songhamaenghodo
Drunkard under a tree Songhachwisaengdo
Tiger underneath a Bamboo Jukhamenghodo
Official paintings
Feast for the Pyongyang Governor (1, Dinner)
The designated painter of the King
Kyujanggak
Main hall of Yongjusa
Seojangdae
"Genre paintings". Among them, the album Danwon pungsokdo provides a serie of 25 paintings. Here are only four of them:
Pratt, Keith L.; Rutt, Richard; Hoare, James E. (1999). Korea, A Historical and Cultural Dictionary. Durham East Asia Series. Routledge. p. 568. ISBN978-0-7007-0463-7.
Oh, Joosok, Adjunct Professor, Chung-Ang University (2007). "The Life and Art of Kim Hong-do". Korean Art and Archeology. 1. National Museum of Korea: 34–45.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
KCC (2013). "Kim Hong-do". Database. Korean Copyright Commission. Archived from the original on 2015-07-13. (in Korean)
TWA (2013). "Kim Hong-do". Art Database. Towooart. (in Korean)
Arts of Korea, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Kim Hong-do
