Kim Hu-sin was a painter who worked in the Joseon court and was part of the Dohwaseo, which was the royal group responsible for painting. His paintings that still exist show that he painted different things, like people, nature, animals and birds and also scenes from daily life. There are records that say he worked with artists like Kim Hong-do to create portraits of kings. These portraits were made for King Yeongjo in 1773 and for King Jeongjo in 1781. Some of his paintings that still exist are called Yaapdo, Daekwaedo and Landscape Painting. Because paintings that showed life or pungsokhwa became more important for showing what was happening in society during the late 1700s in the Joseon period the setting in which Kim Hu-sin worked is very important. Of just painting kings, scholars, historical people or beautiful nature scenes artists like him started to paint everyday activities, fun, work and even behavior that was not considered good. Daekwaedo is one of Kim Hu-sins paintings that's well known among Korean art experts as an example of this change. According to the Korean Encyclopedia of Culture Kim Hu-sin chose to paint about drinking at a time when King Yeongjo had banned alcohol times and when too much drinking was a big problem in society. His funny way of painting is very clear in his Daekwaedo, which's now in the Gansong Art Museum. This painting from the 1700s is 33.7 by 28.2 cm and is made with ink and color on paper. It shows a group of people who're very drunk walking through a forest in the daytime. A man who is completely drunk and has lost his hat and is about to fall is in the middle. His friends are around him. Are pulling and pushing him making a very messy group of people, clothes and actions. The persons body is loose and his face is open which shows he is almost completely drunk. Another man is pulling him forward while another is trying to support him from behind. When we look beyond the people the humor gets more interesting. The trees seem to be looking at the men in shock because the knots in the tree trunks look like wide open eyes and mouths. This is also mentioned in Korea.nets analysis, which says the knots on the trees are like eyes and mouths that show surprise. So the painting is funny not because the men are drunk but also because the whole scene seems to be part of the joke. Another way that the painting is funny is in its name Daekwaedo, which means a scene of " pleasure" or "great joy." The mens fun has turned into something that's not dignified to watch. When we think about the rules about alcohol in the Joseon period this is especially important. Of just showing normal daily life the Korean Encyclopedia of Culture says the painting is part of the movement in genre painting to show not so nice parts of society. So the painting can be seen as both a comment on society and a funny look at life. It is interesting to note that the records that still exist show that Kim Hu-sin also painted formal things. A record called Junggan Chungnyeolrok, which is about a person named Kim Eung-ha has paintings that are said to be by Kim Hu-sin. These include Ujeokpajindo, Uisusajeokdo, Sahuggeomdo and Yangsutohando. This work is valuable because it shows the difference between court paintings and the funny style of Daekwaedo. Kim Hu-sin was not just drawing men; he was showing how painting could take a common everyday event and turn it into a smart comment on people. His work helps us understand how painting changed in the Joseon period when artists started to look more at their surroundings and find art in the lives, weaknesses, happiness and silly moments of regular people. Kim Hu-sins Daekwaedo is placed in the history of Joseon painting in the Gansong Art Museums book Gansong Art 36: Painting. This book shows how important the painting is in the tradition by saying it shows the heart of genre painting, through humor and fun.
I think most interesting about Daekwaedo is that it doesn't punish the subject. A painter could use the drunk man walking through the woods whose job was banned during the alcohol ban as an "oops" moment, as a cautionary image that would shock a viewer into shame. He doesn't do that at all; Kim Hu-sin allows the men to be foolish without condemning them. Those who are holding him up half supporting and half struggling are not disciplinarians, they are companions who are in a similar mess, this jumble of arms and legs, and this knot of clothing, is more a work of comedy than judgment. It's a choice that's both compassionate and satirical: The painting does not punish human weakness, it makes fun of it.
I like the painting more than a genre scene because of the trees. When you've left a knot in the bark and find startled eyes and open mouths, the whole landscape is a silent spectator, reacting much the same way as any other person would: shock, amusement, perhaps even scandal. That's a clever idea, though, as this allows the artist to make a judgment about the men's actions without a human person to moralize and insert into the picture. Judgment is redirected toward nature, rendering the whole thing funnier, and somehow less harsh in the process.
