Kim Hong-do, Korea's Renaissance Painter

[soryang]

(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube, Sept 25, 2020; KBS 한국사전 – 조선의 르네상스를 그리다, 단원 김홍도 / KBS 2007.10.13 방송 )

This is portion of a hanging scroll in the Yongjusa temple in Hwaseong. Kim Hong-do was an artist employed by the court of King Jeongjo. The temple's famous scroll hanging painting by Kim Hong-do has Seokamoni in center, Amitaba to the right and Bhaisajyaguru to the left. Kim and his artists worked on this Buddhist image hanging scroll for 216 days. Prior to painting this scroll, Jeongjo had sent Kim Hong-do and another artist to Beijing to seek out according to his interest art techniques that could be brought back to Korea. There Kim was exposed to currently unknown western art works on display in a protestant church. Kim adopted the techniques he observed there and later used at Yongjusa. In particular he observed and mastered the techniques of perspective and chiaroscuro from the western renaissance style he observed in religious art to give his paintings a life like quality previously unseen in Korea. He is therefore known as Korea's "renaissance artist."

Yongjoosa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It is located in on the slopes of Hwasan in Taean-eup, Hwaseong, in the province of Gyeonggi, South Korea. The temple's name means "dragon jewel temple."
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The temple was initially established in 854 AD, under the name Garyangsa. It was expanded in the 10th century. It was rebuilt in the late 18th century under the orders of Jeongjo in honor of his deceased father, Prince Sado. This is one of few cases where the Joseon royal house supported Buddhism directly. At this time the temple changed to its current name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongjusa

Kim Hong-do was the official court painter for King Jeongjo of Chosun. His paintings of formal court occasions are treasured records of formal Chosun rites, customs and organization. The most famous depictions are the paintings of a procession outside the palace to Hwaseong where Joengjo's father Prince Sado was buried. This is the famous Panchado recording the hwigwoe of King Seongjo's mother (Prince Sado's widow) on the occassion of her sixtieth birthday. The size and order of the procession depict the power of the royal family for the public to see. The procession took place in February 1795. It was planned for two years by King Seongjo. The official record of the royal procession was printed with metal movable type and recorded in multiple volumes. It was completed in 1797. Six thousand persons and 1400 horses were required for the procession. The train of participants extended for four kilometers. Kim Hong-do supervised the royal court's team of artists painting the procession The Panchado depicting the composition of the procession in its entirety is 15 meters long. The court procession is composed of nobles, soldiers, scholars, and civil servants. The royal procession proceeded to the new Hwaseong fortress built in Suwon traveling through the countryside. After his arrival there, Jeongjo excersized the five thousand soldiers of his guard day and night at Hwaseong in a demonstration of his power, to the nobles of the Noron faction who had intrigued against his father. Having restored his father's prestige, Jeongjo began his return to Seoul. This is just a small portion of the procession painting:


(Source- 이명관 기자 mklee kyeonggi.com, 2015. 11. 03 )

Here are other paintings of the Hwigwoe from folding screens:


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube, Sept 25, 2020; KBS 한국사전 – 조선의 르네상스를 그리다, 단원 김홍도 / KBS 2007.10.13 방송 ) The procession crossing the Han River at Noryangjin. This is just a part of one panel of a four panel folding screen.


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube, Sept 25, 2020) KBS 한국사전 – 조선의 르네상스를 그리다, 단원 김홍도 / KBS 2007.10.13 방송 )
Temporary palace at Siheung on the road back to Hanyang (Seoul). This image is part of one panel in an eight panel folding screen depicting the activities of the procession group at Siheung. The royal court on the road could hear grievances of the people, dispense surplus food, and entertain the elderly from village communities.

Below are two pictures are from Kim Hong-do's later life after the death of his sponsor King Jeongjo. Kim is famous for his lifelike portrayals of everyday Koreans of his time in the activities of daily life.


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube Sept 25, 2020 )


(Source- KBS역사저널 그날, youtube Sept 25, 2020 )