A Korean Painting with a Phonograph

[transformingArt]

I just put this painting on my YouTube channel background.


Ki-Chang Kim (or Kim Ki-Chang - "Kim" is his surname.),(Korean; 김기창, 1913.2.18 ~ 2001.1.23)
"Listening" (Korean; 정청),
Watercolor on Paper. 1934.

Kim is usually regarded as one of the greatest painter in 20th Century Korea. He lost his hearing ability at the age of seven after suffering a scarlet fever. He started painting at the age of 16, got the 1st Prize at the Korean National Art Contest in 1932. He had a extremely productive career throughout his life, and his most famous work, "The Portrait of King Sejong the Great" (1973) is now seen in the South Korean 10,000 Won Banknote since 1979.

This painting was from 1934. The Woman with the blue Korean dress in the painting, named Lee So-Je (Korean; 이소제, 1913 ~ 1936), was a Kisaeng (equivalent of Japanese Geisha). At this time she was lover of Kim. She was terminally ill with tuberculosis when the painting was made, and she died about two years later after the painting was finished. The girl with Yellow Korean dress and a basketball, is the painter's youngest sister.

I'm sure that you'll recognize the phonograph in the painting is a Columbia Model 204 Portable machine. Actually, the very machine is still kept at the painter's house, now a museum.

[Valecnik]

Thank you for posting. That's a very nice picture. When I see such paintings or pictures where the machine actually appears to be playing, I always wonder the situation and what they might be listening to.