Sin Yun-bok Facts for Kids

In this Korean name, the family name is Shin.

"Hyewon" redirects here. For the name (and a list of people with the name), see Hye-won.

Quick facts for kids Korean name
Sin Yun-bok

Hangul	신윤복
Hanja	申潤福
Revised Romanization	Sin Yun-bok
McCune–Reischauer	Sin Yunbok
Art name
Hangul	혜원
Hanja	蕙園
Revised Romanization	Hye-won
McCune–Reischauer	Hyewŏn
Courtesy name
Hangul	입부
Hanja	笠父
Revised Romanization	Ip-bu
McCune–Reischauer	Ippu

Shin Yun-bok, also known by his art name Hyewon, was a famous Korean painter. He lived from 1758 to 1813 during the Joseon Dynasty. Hyewon was known for painting realistic scenes of everyday life. His paintings often showed a different style compared to other artists of his time. This unique style even led to him leaving the royal painting school, called Dohwaseo.

Painting was often a family job back then. Hyewon's father and grandfather were also painters for the royal court. Today, Hyewon is remembered as one of the "Three Wons" of Joseon painting. The other two are Danwon and Owon.

Who Was Shin Yun-bok?
What Was Hyewon's Painting Style Like?
- Famous Artworks by Hyewon
Hyewon in Stories and Movies
- Books
- Movies and TV Shows
Images for kids
See also

Who Was Shin Yun-bok?

Not much is known about Shin Yun-bok's personal life. We know he was the son of Hanpyeong, who was also a royal court painter. His father helped paint portraits of kings like King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo.

Hyewon reached a high rank at the Dohwaseo, the royal painting institute. He was skilled in many types of painting. These included scenes of daily life (called genre painting), landscapes, and animals. Many people believe he created a lot of paintings because genre paintings were very popular then.

Some experts have different ideas about his life. They wonder if he was truly a member of the Dohwaseo. They also question if he was close friends with another famous painter, Kim Hong-do.

What Was Hyewon's Painting Style Like?

Even though he was influenced by Kim Hong-do, Shin Yun-bok developed his own special way of painting. He is most famous for his genre paintings, which show everyday scenes from the Joseon era.

Hyewon's paintings used bright colors and fine, detailed brushstrokes. This was different from Kim Hong-do's style. He also painted scenes of shamanism (traditional spiritual practices) and town life. His artworks give us a great look into how people lived and what they wore back then.

His landscape paintings used light, clear strokes. This was similar to the style of Yun Je-hong, a new artist of that time. Hyewon also often filled his entire canvas with details. He didn't leave much empty space, which was a common tradition.

Most of his paintings have a short poem and his personal seal. However, none of them show the date they were made. This makes it hard to see how his painting style changed over time. As a key artist in genre painting, he inspired many other painters after him.

Famous Artworks by Hyewon

Hyewon created many important paintings. His collection of 30 paintings, called Hyewon Pungsokhwacheop, is very special. It was named the 135th National Treasure of South Korea in 1970.

Here are some of his well-known paintings:

Portrait of a Beauty (미인도; 美人圖): This painting on silk shows what was considered beautiful in the Joseon era. You can see the realistic details of the traditional Korean dress, called a hanbok.
Dano day (단오풍정; 端午風情): This painting on paper captures a scene from the Dano festival.

Hyewon in Stories and Movies

Shin Yun-bok's life and art have inspired many fictional works.

Books

In the novel Painter of the Wind by Lee Jung-myung, Hyewon is shown as a woman who pretends to be a man.

Movies and TV Shows

The 2008 SBS TV series Painter of the Wind featured Moon Geun-young and Kim Yoo-jung playing Hyewon.
In the 2008 film Portrait of a Beauty, Hyewon was played by Kim Min-sun.