Korean Portrait of Beauty #1 'Me-in-do', 18th Century Korean Art Original Linocut print
This oversized stamp style print is inspired by a Korean stamp collection featuring artwork from 18th century Korean Artist, Sin Yun-bok.
I'm so obsessed with his paintings at the moment. Unlike other painters from the 18-19 century in Korea, who painted scenery or portraits of aristocrats, Sin painted the lives of commoners, pub owners(mainly women) and prostitutes, portraying the beauty and power they possessed.
What makes his paintings even more interesting and provocative is the way he depicted aristocrats in comparison to women. In his painting, women are the heros and often aristocrats are ridiculed for their misdemeanor. (FYI, Korea in the 18 century was a very strict class society. And it was revolting to even paint "woman" on canvas).
I'm so obsessed with his paintings at the moment. Unlike other painters from the 18-19 century in Korea, who painted scenery or portraits of aristocrats, Sin painted the lives of commoners, pub owners(mainly women) and prostitutes, portraying the beauty and power they possessed.
What makes his paintings even more interesting and provocative is the way he depicted aristocrats in comparison to women. In his painting, women are the heros and often aristocrats are ridiculed for their misdemeanor. (FYI, Korea in the 18 century was a very strict class society. And it was revolting to even paint "woman" on canvas).
Sadly there is not a lot of information or records about Sin’s life but I feel his paintings tell so much about who he is as a person. I decided to make Lino prints of his work, with a bit of twist of my own, in hopes to share his brave and thought provoking art with the world.
