Modern Korean Painting

The period between Imperial Korea (1897–1910) up to the 1950s marks a significant era for Korean art, characterized by efforts towards the continuation of traditions and the establishment of new conceptual and systemic aspects. This exhibition aims to examine the precipitous currents of modern fine art, with central focus on the works of art held in the collection of Ewha Womans University Museum. First of all, the documentary paintings of the Great Han Empire, portraits by the royal painter, and the postage stamps and schoolbooks of the time allow a glimpse into the dignified status of the empire and the introduction of new cultural facets and techniques through the imperial dynasty. Furthermore, a number of art schools were established for the purpose of continuing the lineage of traditional art and fostering successive generations of artists, which resulted in the emergence of renowned artists that led the development of modern art circles in Korea, such as Kim Eun-ho, Lee Sang-beom, No Su-hyeon, Byeon Gwan-sik, Chang Woo-soung, Kim Gi-chang, and Lee Eung-ro. This favorable attitude towards the growing prominence of Western art led to the nationwide spread of hobbyists with an interest in learning Western art and the new perception of the times towards art as a part of popular culture. Meanwhile, Western-style artistry in Korea, consisting of artists educated both in Korea and abroad, saw rapid growth through the establishment of various art organizations and exhibitions. Founded by Helen Kim and other key members with affiliations to Ewha Womans University, and widely known for having invited the most prominent artists of the day as teachers, the artists’ group Geumranmukhoe is testament to the fact that the cultured in Korea had persisted in the creation, exhibition, and appreciation of fine arts and calligraphy from the aftermath of liberation through to the 1960s. The modern paintings that laid the foundation and opened new grounds for modern artistry in Korea will yield an insight into the sensibilities that modern artists of the era had aimed to pursue, amid the rapid changes in the traditional way of life and cognitive system.

Amidst the influx of new cultural aspects during the Enlightenment era in Korea, the establishment of modern institutions for art education sought to continue the lineage of traditional art and calligraphy while fostering younger generations of practitioners. Alongside the founding of Gyeongseong Seohwa Misulwon in 1911, Seohwa Misulhoe in 1912, and Seohwa Research Association in 1915, Seohwa Association was established in 1918. Throughout this process, the movement for modern art education in Korea was led by Seohwa Misulhoe, which was founded on 1 June 1912. The teaching faculty at Seohwa Misulhoe was led by Jo Seok-jin and Ahn Jung-sik, and included artists such as Gang Jin-hui, Jeong Dae-yu, Kim Eung-won, Gang Pil-ju, and Lee Do-yeong. Their teaching methods focused on basic training through conventional painting methods, and encouraged students to emulate the calligraphy styles of the instructors and artwork from China, until the association’s dissolution in 1919 following the death of Ahn Jung-sik. Invigorated by Seohwa Misulhoe to an extent, the increased popularity of fine art and calligraphy resulted in the nationwide spread of similar art schools, which aimed to educate successive generations of artists while allowing hobbyists to learn the arts as well. Propagating the perception of art at the time as part of popular culture, this new trend led 13 prominent artists, including Jo Seok-jin, Ahn Jung-sik, Kim Gyu-jin, Oh Se-chang and Ko Hui-dong, to launch Seohwa Association on 16 June 1918 as the first artists’ association in Korea. Although the association attempted a diverse range of endeavors for the modernization and vitalization of art culture, it ceased its activities following the 15th Seohwa Exhibition in 1936. As discussed above, the influences from various institutions of modern art education led to the emergence of renowned artists such as Kim Eun-ho, Lee Sang-beom, No Su-hyeon, and Byeon Gwan-sik from Seohwa Misulhoe, and Jang U-seong, Kim Gi-chang, and Lee Eung-ro through the newcomers’ contests held by Seohwa Association, all of whom became key figures in leading the development of modern art circles in Korea since the 1920s.

Since late 19th century, the most noteworthy aspect of the history of modern fine art at the time is the introduction of new painting styles and cultural assets through those who had studied or traveled abroad. Hwang Cheol and Ji Un-yeong operated their own photography studios, having introduced photography techniques from Shanghai, China and Kobe, Japan, respectively, to produce works as both photographers and practitioners of fine art and calligraphy. Having studied in Tokyo, Japan, Ko Hui-dong had previously been known for his oil paintings, but his transition into oriental paintings saw the amalgamation of Western techniques with the traditional format of classic oriental works. From the 1920s, the Japanese colonial government began to host the Joseon Art Exhibition as part of its attempt to systematically regulate the artistry of Joseon, which greatly affected the establishment and development of modern art in Korea. The traditional Korean method of colored ink painting was renamed ‘oriental painting’ and reinvented as a creative art form of the colonial exhibition, while other categories consisted of Korean ink landscape paintings, colored portraits, and colored paintings of flowers and birds.While traditional ink landscape paintings were passed down to the first generation of oriental painting artists through the painting styles of Ahn Jung-sik and Jo Seok-jin, which were originally based on traditional forms, the trend in favor of new artistic methods further encouraged changes in the genre. This trend consisted of the deviation from otherworldly and lofty portrayals of landscapes, which were replaced by expressions of everyday and worldly scenes. In particular, gradually painting more seasonal vistas with strong regional flavors allowed Lee Sang-beom to develop a renewed recognition towards distinctively Korean sensibilities. On the other hand, colored portraits and paintings of flowers and birds, which are generally categorized as Japanese-style paintings, were led by the first generation of oriental painting artists, including Kim Eun-ho, and pursued a new form of artistic style. Kim Eun-ho’s own style of painting emphasized a sense of realism, while his proteges, Kim Gi-chang, Jang U-seong, and Lee Yu-tae created a new style of painting which deviated from the Japanese influence while producing delicate and elegant works.

Geumranmukhoe was officially launched in 1953 following the recapture of Seoul, as a fine arts and calligraphy circle centering on the core members Lee Jeong-ae and Helen Kim. The name of the group was taken from the proverb Geumranjigyo, which can be interpreted as “the friendship that is strong as steel and fragrant as an orchid.” Instructors at the group consisted of Western-style painters, such as Son Jae-hyeong, Kim Yun-jung, Lee Sang-beom, Kim Yong-jin, Kim Eun-ho, Lee Byeong-jik, and Hwang Seong-ha, who were active during the transition into the modern era, while its membership was based on those related to Ewha Womans University, including Helen Kim herself. According to surviving information, the group held regular meetings estimated on a monthly basis, as well as an annual exhibition for works produced by members. Geumranmukhoe was a sophisticated meeting of artists that continued throughout the late Joseon era due to the efforts of the intelligentsia, and an extension of the fine arts and calligraphy groups of various sizes that existed during the transition into the modern era. Particularly in reference to the members that are renowned as collectors of antique art and calligraphy through the activities of the Ewha Womans University Museum, the art-historical significance of Geumranmukhoe can be surmised from the continuation of the classical behavior within artistic culture, such as creation, exhibition, and enjoyment of fine art and calligraphy, throughout the liberation of Korea and the late 1960s.

The emergence of Western-style artistry in modern Korea began under the leadership of Ko Hui-dong, who graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1915 with a degree in Western paintings, along with other students who had also studied Western art in Japan. Through the return of painters who had studied in Europe, the establishment of various art organizations, as well as the institution of exhibitions, the movement achieved rapid growth. Establishment of Western Art Circles seeks to examine the portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings produced by key painters of academism that formed the foundation of Western-style artistry, as well as artworks that pioneered modern abstract art and demonstrated the coexistence of the designed and the abstract. This form of Western-style artistry is notable for portraits that thematically focus on the ego of individuals, and features key elements such as Western furniture, clothing, books, and tools for oil paintings, which were recognized as symbols of the new culture and representative aspects of the lives of modern intellectuals. Furthermore, the act of actually confronting the surrounding scenery and to feel and depict the ever-changing impressions therein represents the shift into modernistic creative activities. Depicting various objects, flowers, and fruit, still life paintings saw the development of expressive techniques based on realism and the rising emphasis on symbolic elements that express the consciousness of the artist, as well as the endeavor to convey uniquely Korean sensibilities. On the other hand, it is also possible to examine pieces that contributed to the development of Western-style artistry in Korea by introducing experimental and avant-garde forms of art such as cubism and abstract art. As pioneer works that laid the foundation and created new grounds for Western-style artistry in Korea, such artistic endeavors allow the viewer to gain an understanding of the sensibilities of the times as pursued by Western-style artists amid the rapid changes in the traditional ways of life and cognitive structures.