A sophisticated young woman with a "Western" appearance sits casually on a simple wooden chair listening to music from a record player behind her with a white record cover beside her on the floor. Judging from the white porcelain and wood furniture, she appears to be from a wealthy family living in Korea in the 1960s. This is Korean artist 김인승 Kim Insoong's 1966 oil on canvas painting, “Listening,” which is said to have been “a painting of the most beautiful student at Ewha Womans University at the time.” The beauty of the main character in the work makes it hard look away. Kim, whose name is often written as Kim In-seung, earned the nickname 장미화가 or "Rose Painter" for leaving behind many works themed around roses, is also famous for his portraits, characterized by precise observation and realism. Looking at the floral patterns on her teal dress, the intricacy of her eyebrows and eyes, and simple attentive expression, it's as if we already know the woman’s personality. Kim entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1932 to study painting and graduated near the top of his class in 1937. As a student, he trained in the techniques of classical realism, based on fastidious observation and lifelike expressions. The year of his graduation, he received the Changdeokgung Prize for his painting "Naked Woman" at the 16th Joseon Art Exhibition (1937). He then received special selections at the next three Joseon Art Exhibitions, before being honored as a "recommended artist" with portraits characterized by realistic depictions of the body, a profound color palette, and stable composition. He quickly became one of the leading Korean artists in academic realism. After becoming a professor at Ewha Womans University (이화여자대학교) in 1947, Kim was appointed as a "recommended artist" and "judge" at the 1st National Art Exhibition of Korea in 1949, to help establish the event's preferred art style of realistic paintings of seated women -- like this young lady listening to music.

청 (Listening) by 김인승 Kim Insoong - Oil on canvas / 1966 - National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea) #womeninart #art #oilpainting #김인승 #KimInsoong #InsoongKim #KimIn-seung #국립현대미술관 #womensart #portrait #KoreanArtist #KoreanArt #musicart #artwork #fineart #portraitofawoman #MMCA

Korean artist Kim Insoong entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1932 to study painting and graduated near the top of his class in 1937. As a student, he trained in the techniques of classical realism, based on fastidious observation and lifelike expressions. The year of his graduation, he received the Changdeokgung Prize for Naked Woman at the sixteenth Joseon Art Exhibition (1937). He then received special selections at the next three Joseon Art Exhibitions, before being honored as a recommended artist. With these excellent showings at the Joseon Art Exhibition, Kim Insoong emerged as one of the leading artists in the style of academic realism. After becoming a professor at Ewha Womans University in 1947, Kim was appointed as a recommended artist and judge at the first National Art Exhibition of Korea in 1949, where he helped to establish the preferred style of the event with his realistic paintings of seated women. His portraits are characterized by highly realistic depictions of the human body, a profound color palette, and stable composition. All of these traits are evident in “Woman in a Red Dress,” which shows a young woman in a modern fire red dress sitting next to a white porcelain moon jar, with a trench coat draped over the back of her chair. She sits in a relaxed posture, leaning slightly forward with her hands casually crossed on her lap. Against the dark background, the red dress harmonizes with the smooth curves of the white porcelain jar, drawing attention to the woman’s face. Many of the women in Kim Insoong’s paintings look like Westerners. In particular, this one resembles an upper-class Western woman of the 1960s, with a very elegant appearance and refined attire.

붉은 원피스의 여인 (Woman in a Red Dress) by 김인승 Kim Insoong (Korean) - Oil on canvas / 1965 - National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea) #womeninart #국립현대미술관 #art #oilpainting #portraitofawoman #KimInsoong #김인승 #womensart #portrait #KoreanArtist #KoreanArt #beauty #1960s #artwork #fineart

This oil painting by Kim depicts a young woman with her dark brown hair up and wearing a traditional Korean hanbok (한복), seated gracefully in a room filled with antique furniture. Her facial expression is a bit stiff, but she stands out against the darkened background because of her luminous pink robe. Our attention is drawn to her attire, thanks to the harmonious contrast between her red collar and sash and her blue vest, as well as the meticulously depicted norigae (노리개) ornament that hangs below the sash, directly in the center of the painting. Kim’s outstanding artistic skills are evident in the lustrous texture of the silk fabric. The sheen and intricate patterns of the Korean clothing are expressed with short, swift brushstrokes, enhancing the realism and vitality of the painting. Kim Insoong entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1932 to study painting and graduated near the top of his class in 1937. As a student, he trained in the techniques of classical realism, based on fastidious observation and lifelike expressions. The year of his graduation, he received the Changdeokgung Prize at the sixteenth Joseon Art Exhibition (1937). He then received special selections at the next three Joseon Art Exhibitions, before being honored as a recommended artist. With these excellent showings at the Joseon Art Exhibition, Kim Insoong emerged as one of the leading artists in the style of academic realism. After becoming a professor at Ewha Womans University in 1947, Kim was appointed as a recommended artist and judge at the first National Art Exhibition of Korea in 1949, where he helped to establish the preferred style of the event with his realistic paintings of seated women characterized by highly realistic depictions of the body and a profound color palette.

여인상 (Woman) by 김인승 Kim Insoong (Korean) - Oil on canvas / 1966 - 국립현대미술관 (MMCA) National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Korea) #womeninart #art #koreanart #oilpainting #mmca #koreanartist #한복 #hanbok #fineart #womensart #국립현대미술관 #portrait #artwork #portraitofawoman #한국인 #kiminsoong #김인승