Exhibition of first Western-style painter

An oil painting by Ko Hei-tong (1886-1965), the first Western-style painter in Korea, will be unveiled to the public for the first time Saturday at his former residence.

The painting, a portrait of poet Ree Sang-hwa (1901-1943), was the fourth oil painting created by Ko, who usually specialized in a painting style that mixed Korean traditional ink and western water colors. On the back of the painting reads, “1931 Ko Hei Tong, to his friend Ree.”

The exhibition will run until Jan. 20 at Ko’s residence in Wonseo-dong, central Seoul. 

A member of staff unveils a portrait of Ree Sang-hwa, a resistance poet, by painter Ko Hei-tong at Ko’s former residence in Wonseo-dong, central Seoul, on Thursday, two days before the exhibition. (Yonhap News)

“We are not sure when the piece was painted. But we assume it was around 1931 when he gave it to Ree,” said Kim Hong-nam, professor at Ewha Womans University and co-representative of the National Trust of Korea, at a press conference in Seoul on Thursday.

Kim said that the painting proves that Ko was dedicated to the independence of Korea from the Japanese imperial rules (1910-1945.) Ree, who was Ko’s student at Chungang High School, wrote resistance pieces against imperialism including the famous, “Whether Spring Taken Away Comes.”

“Painting a portrait of a resistance poet clearly shows his support for the artists struggling for their country’s independence,” Kim said. He noted that Ko also led the establishment of the Calligraphic Painters’ Association and launched the Calligraphic Painters’ Association News, Korea’s first art magazine.

“He thought that all an artist could do when his country has lost its sovereignty is to keep its traditional culture,” Kim explained.

The exhibition is being held to celebrate Ko’s house, a registered local cultural heritage No.84, being opened to public. Alongside the portrait of Ree Sang-hwa, three other oil paintings and 18 Korean-Western style pieces will be exhibited in four guestrooms in the house. Documents and other materials showing Ko’s friendship with other artists will also be displayed.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)