National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Korea, Gwacheon branch, Exhibition Room 5
The artist is generally identified in Korean art-historical scholarship as Kim Joong-hyun (1901–1953), although his name is also transliterated as Kim Jung-hyun in some English-language sources, was a Korean modern painter active from the 1920s to the 1940s.
A key figure – albeit one perhaps rather less known than some of Korea’s better celebrated artists – in the formation of modern Korean art, Jeong belongs to a group of artists active during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea. As part of this cohort, Jeong explored how Korean painters might incorporate Western oil painting into their repertoire, while simultaneously wrestling with questions relating to the creation of an artwork that captured Korean life itself. Indeed, unlike those Korean painters who mimicked European styles uncritically, Jeong sought to utilise western techniques to portray the lives of common Koreans: “An artistic concern for representing the locality and everyday life of Joseon/Korea can be perceived.” Although trained formally in some cases overseas, many artists working within the Korean nationalist movement had developed artistic skills largely by themselves. Jeong likewise appears to have been a self-taught artist. Working successively as a tram conductor, clerk and draftsman amongst others, according to the accompanying materials from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (NMMCA), he participated regularly in the Joseon Art Exhibition (조선미술전람회). The participation of Kim in the Joseon Art Exhibition in 1925 was significant in his career. In addition to this, he continued to participate in the exhibition up until 1943. Though he was often criticized due to deficiencies in his academic approach to art, he continued his work, and he showed an interest in the life of common people. One scholarly article that was published by the Korean Citation Index stresses that his artistic world was constructed using everyday life and local Korean issues and not fashion. One of the most interesting characteristics of Kim is that he was able to work in both western and oriental paintings. In 1936, he was honored for his work in both Western and Oriental paintings at the Joseon Art Exhibition. It was very unusual for him to receive such an honor because his work was characterized by a blending of these two types of painting rather than separation. Consequently, the art of Kim can be viewed in connection with a certain time in Korean art history: the time when the question of what Korean art should look like in modern times was posed to Korean artists. Chunyang (Spring Sunshine) by Kim Joong-hyun from 1936 is one of the most important surviving paintings by him and currently forms a part of the collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). The painting itself is a large four-paneled folding screen that measures about 106 × 216.8 cm and is painted using ink and colors on paper. The painting was displayed in the 15th Joseon Art Exhibition in 1936, where it won a Special Selection award in the Eastern-style painting category. It is even more important to note that the same year Kim Joong-hyun was also honored for Western-style painting.
The painting portrays an everyday scene within the setting of a typical Korean house. Instead of featuring the kings, historic personalities, or the elites in the society, Kim paints the common folk and what they do in their everyday lives. There are several women preparing vegetables and foods, and other people taking care of children in the scene. The children seem to enjoy themselves basking in the spring sunlight. Some of the features of a Korean home such as the wood used in the architecture, changhoji windows, some household items, and people in colorful hanbok can be seen in the picture. This is because Kim made a careful observation of the surroundings in the life of the Koreans.
One of the intriguing aspects of Chunyang is its composition. While looking at the painting, it seems to reflect only one family scene that is happening at one certain moment. There are, however, several activities happening at once. For instance, women cook, take care of kids, wash laundry, and do all the housework. From the art historical point of view, such kind of composition is known as isidongdo – a traditional approach in which different moments or activities can be shown at once within one picture. Therefore, Kim was not just trying to reproduce one moment, as if taking a photo, but included different aspects of life in his work.
Coloring and realistic elements are also worth noting. Kim employed bright and vibrant coloring in particular in the clothes worn by women which made figures prominent against the background of interior. At the same time, the artist pays close attention to small things and surfaces. For example, according to MMCA, Kim paid special attention to depicting vegetables and stains on paper windows.
Moreover, the painting should be viewed from the standpoint of combining the Western approach to realism with Korean painting traditions. Indeed, Kim first gained his reputation and built his career based on the Western approach, producing many landscapes, portraits, and still-life paintings, inspired by the academic approach of European art. Nevertheless, since the beginning of the 1930s, Kim increasingly focused on depicting the common Koreans and their culture. Thus, between 1936 and 1940, Kim simultaneously practiced Western and Korean painting traditions, which involve the use of brushes and ink, as well as color. Therefore, Chunyang is a great example of such artistic practice because its realistic observation and description are characteristic of Western painting, but its brush and ink and color technique and folding-screen format are typical of Korean painting traditions. Moreover, there is a historical context that gives the painting a deeper meaning. Indeed, the Japanese colonial period, during which Kim created Chunyang, was a time of heated discussions among Korean artists about modern Korean artistic identity. During the 1930s, the notion of “local color” was gaining more importance in Korean painting because artists paid attention to Korean landscapes, customs, clothes, and daily life. Chunyang is identified by MMCA’s study on conservation to be a perfect instance of this trend, which involves the use of traditional painting styles of Korea along with brilliant colors and realism in representation.
The significance of the work of art Chunyang lies in the fact that through this painting Kim depicts the common household activities as the reflection of life in Korea. The preparation of food, the presence of children, the dress code (hanbok), the architectural style (hanok), the furniture and even the window decorations are all part of the depiction of the everyday life. Rather than portraying the historical moments of Korea, Kim portrays its daily activities.
In addition to being an image of a Korean family in their domestic surroundings, Chunyang is also the artist's effort to capture the essence of daily Korean life during the 1930s. Through his use of naturalistic observation, vibrant color, techniques from Korean traditional painting, and everyday scenes, the artist has made a work which lies in between modern Western painting and Korean tradition.
The painting Chunyang presents a lively scene of women engaged in everyday household activities, emphasizing the warmth and rhythm of domestic life. The figures are shown preparing food, washing utensils, and caring for children, creating a sense of community and shared responsibility. The colourful traditional Korean clothing, particularly the vibrant hanbok, adds visual richness and cultural identity to the composition. The arrangement of multiple figures within an intimate household setting highlights cooperation and familiarity. Rather than portraying grand historical events, the artist celebrates ordinary life, giving importance to women’s often-unnoticed labour. The painting therefore serves as a visual record of Korean social life, domestic traditions, and cultural practices.
