Ho Kon(1907-1987) is one of the two great painters leading a group of painters in Honam province with Ho Pak-Ryon (1891-1977), which formed a unique 'Honam' painting circle.
When we divide traditional paintings into two periods, darly modern and late...
Ho Kon(1907-1987) is one of the two great painters leading a group of painters in Honam province with Ho Pak-Ryon (1891-1977), which formed a unique 'Honam' painting circle.
When we divide traditional paintings into two periods, darly modern and late modern period, we can see that there ate some distinct regional styles of paintings in Honam painting group.
This is characterized by the inheritance of the style of traditional Southern School paintings and their mental basis, contrasted with the other painting groups which show creative selr-realization based on the new spirit of that times. In other words, painters of Honam painting group showed consistent admiration toward the change of Seoul -centered paintes since 1920s.
Within the firm regional painting atmosphere of Honam painting group, however, there were. also some 'resistants' who aspired to pursue their own worle. They represent one aspect of inevitable reaction to the rigid Honam style. That is, in inheriting the Southern School by Honam painting group were two streams of painter : one was to maintain the classical style, guided by Ho Paek-ryon : the other was to apply the revolutionary method creatively to the old style, headed by Ho Kon.
Southern -Style paintings, which were budded in China and popularized in Korea from the middle to the late period of Yi Dynasty, wielded the great power centering around Kim Chong-hui. That was a reverse phenomenon of reverting to the Chinese painting stye, while there was also an atmosphere of Korean-style painting influenced by positivism and rationalism.
Ho Ryon(1809-1892) received instruction of poetry, calligraphy and painting at Kim Chong-hui's feet, and his painting style was that of A Chan(1301-1374) and Hwang Kong -mang(1269-1354) among four masters in the late won period. Then his style was inherited to his son, Ho Hyong(1861-1938), his grandson Ho Kon and his collatral grandson Ho Paek-ryon, forming a basis of today's Honam painting.
Though Ho Kon was in the line of the great Ho's family inheriting the Southern School painting and moreover fixed himself in Mokpo from about 1930, his style is worth nothing in that he pursued those days' new spirit of painting early.
This paper treats his developmental process of painting till he pursued individual spirit, alongside with his career divided into the three periods for a convenience. At the same time, by considering his achievements in detail, this paper tries to shed the lights on today's painting.