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Kim Myong-guk [cha Ch’onyo; ho Yondam]
(b ?Ansan [now Sihûng-kun, Kyônggi-do Province] or ?Seoul, 1600; d after 1662). Korean painter. He was a member of the Tohwaso (Bureau of Painting). His contemporaries described him as a carefree drunkard, a characterization that corresponds to the Chinese image of the eccentric artist; the broad, forceful brushstrokes of his paintings suggest such an eccentricity. In 1636 and 1643 Kim Myong-guk visited Japan as a member of an official delegation. It has been suggested (Yi Tong-ju) that, like HAN SI-GAK, he was probably drawn to Son (Chin. Chan; Jap. Zen) Buddhist figure painting through commissions from Japanese patrons, who generally preferred Buddhist themes. Many of his paintings that are held in Japan are of this genre, whereas contemporary painting in Korea was dominated by secular themes. Ahn Hwi-joon suggests that Kim’s exposure to Buddhist painting could have had an influence on his landscapes. Conversely, Hong Son-p’yo attaches much less importance to the visits to Japan. He points to the painter’s intractable character and to the fact that his given name, Yondam (‘lotus pond’), has Buddhist references. In his opinion the style of both Kim Myong-guk’s landscapes and his figure paintings is more akin to that of the Chinese ZHE SCHOOL, particularly the works of the eccentric Wu Wei. The most impressive example of this affinity is the painting of Bodhidharma (see fig.), which depicts the patriarch with a few forceful, yet delicate, brushstrokes. It is generally accepted that the influence of the late Zhe school can be seen in Kim Myong-guk’s landscapes (such as Landscape and Poem, fan painting, ink on gold leaf on paper, 220*284 mm, New York, Brooklyn Mus.). His earlier landscapes are painted in the interpretation of the Zhe school style that was cultivated in 16th-century Korea by Yi Kyong-yun and of which the strongly contrasted neighbouring areas of rock dotted with spots of moss are the most characteristic feature. Kim’s loose brush technique is nonetheless clearly observable. Landscape in Snow (hanging scroll, ink on ramie, 1.01*0.54 m; Seoul, N. Mus.; see 1984 exh. cat., no. 227) is painted in a style more faithful to the Chinese masters, with powerful, virtuoso brushwork.
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