Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Kim Eun-Ho (1892 – 1979) was one of the prestigious court painters working at the end of Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). He specialized in portrait paintings, and even, when only in his twenties, was accorded the honor of painting the portrait of King Sunjong, the last Korean king to rule before the Korean peninsula came under Japanese occupation. Like many artists of his generation he was influenced by and, at one time, studied in Japan. Although known for his innovative style which incorporated Japanese as well as Western modernist effects, such as treating his subjects whether human or birds and flowers with realistic detail, this unassuming, yet exquisitely rendered painting is more traditional in brush work and subject matter.