Kim Hong Do was a progressive artist of realistic trend who represented the artists’ world of Korea in the 18^th and 19^th century. He showed his artistic talents from his childhood and learned paintings from Kim Ung Hwan who was a progressive artist at that time. He left many masterpieces including figure genre paintings, portrait paintings, landscape paintings, woodcut prints and the like.

   In particular Kim Hong Do broke the old style of painting of the aristocrats that had been fixed under the influence of the realism of the times, and he gradually opened up the road of creating realistic genre paintings proceeded from the reality of his times. In his genre paintings, working people appeared as heroes and he affirmed their creative labour, optimistic life and the beauty of their simple and wholesome spiritual world. He also naturally ridiculed the corrupted life of the feudal bureaucrats and idle class and represented the unjust social aspect of the times.

   Smithy, House Building, Weaving, Washing Place, Dancing, Ssirum (Korean Wrestling), Fishing, Village Classroom, Archery and At the Well are his masterpieces which truthfully reflected the creative labour and everyday life of the common people.

   Kim Hong Do also left landscape painting masterpieces with his vigorous and flowing brush.

   All his landscape paintings show the deep love for mountains and streams of the homeland and reflect national sentiment and beauty of home town. Also, his paintings are so attractive that they inspire people to go into the nature. Representative landscape paintings are Kuryong Falls, Hongryudong and the like.

   Kim Hong Do was recorded as a great painter in the Korean art history who opened up a new chapter of the artists’ world in the 18^th and 19^th century and although his paintings have some limitations of the time and history, they are regarded as precious national art treasure.

   ※ You could see representative paintings of Kim Hong Do in the national heritage list of this homepage.