''Portrait of a Beauty'' () is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Jeon Yun-su. Adapted from the bestselling novel ''Painter of the Wind'' () by

Lee Jung-myung Lee Jung-myung is a South Korean writer. A popular writer of historical fiction, his books have sold millions of copies in his native country. Several of his books have been adapted into successful TV miniseries, e.g. '' The Deep-Rooted Tree'' (2 ...

, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Sin Yun-bok (better known by his

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

, Hyewon) as being a woman disguised as a man. ''Portrait of a Beauty'' opened in South Korean theaters on 13 November 2008. It was the 8th most attended domestic film of 2008 with 2,364,482 tickets sold.

Plot

Retired court painter Sin Han-pyeong seeks to settle an old score with the most sought-after painter of that time, Kim Hong-do ( Kim Young-ho). Sin raises his son to surpass Kim Hong-do, but his son commits suicide over his lack of talent. The father then pushes his daughter Yun-jeong to disguise herself as her brother and enter the world of court painters. The grown-up Yun-jeong ( Kim Gyu-ri), now known under the pen name "Hyewon," finally enters the court and learns to paint under the guidance of Kim Hong-do, who is trusted by King Jeongjo. Kim Hong-do quickly notices Yun-bok's huge potential as well as his girlish features. Things remain normal until Yun-bok goes out and comes across a playful seller of mirrors, Kang-mu ( Kim Nam-gil). When their romantic adventure takes off, it is Kim Hong-do who ends up heartbroken. Kim's jealousy, and his desire to own Yun-bok physically and emotionally, soars to a perilous level.

Cast

* Kim Gyu-ri as Sin Yun-bok * Kim Young-ho as Kim Hong-do * Kim Nam-gil as Kang-mu * Choo Ja-hyun as Seol-hwa * Han Myeong-goo as King Jeongjo * Park Ji-il as Sin Han-pyeong * Kwon Byeong-gil as Kim Geo-sang * Choi Kyoo-hwan as Artist Choi * Yeo Ho-min as Artist Shim * Kim Seung-hoon as Artist Hong * Kang San as young Yun-bok

Artistic license

Sin Yun-bok, better known by the

Hyewon, was a real historical figure who produced a host of thematically provocative and artistically excellent paintings in the 18th century. However, not one record of the painter still exists. Several art history scholars have criticized the Korean entertainment industry for distorting historical facts about the painter, who was unquestionably a man. The novel had also been adapted into the television series '' Painter of the Wind''.

Awards and nominations

;

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

Baeksang Arts Awards * Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Gyu-ri ;2009 Chunsa Film Art Awards * Best Cinematography – Park Hee-ju * Best Editing – Park Gok-ji * Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun ;

Grand Bell Awards The Grand Bell Awards (), also known as the Daejong Film Awards, is an awards ceremony presented annually by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea for excellence in film in South Korea. The Grand Bell Awards retains prestige as the oldest co ...

* Best Cinematography – Park Hee-ju * Nomination – Best Director – Jeon Yun-su * Nomination – Best Actress – Kim Gyu-ri * Nomination – Best Supporting Actress – Choo Ja-hyun * Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Seung-gyu * Nomination – Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun * Nomination – Best Costume Design – Lee Yu-suk ;

Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards () is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by ''Sports Chosun'' (a sister brand of the ''Chosun Ilbo'') for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popula ...

* Nomination – Best Supporting Actress – Choo Ja-hyun * Nomination – Best Lighting – Kim Seung-gyu * Nomination – Best Art Direction – Lee Ha-jun

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of a Beauty 2008 films 2000s historical romance films South Korean historical romance films South Korean biographical films Biographical films about painters Films set in the 18th century Films set in the Joseon dynasty Films based on South Korean novels 2000s Korean-language films 2000s biographical films 2000s South Korean films