Portrait of a Beauty

Portrait of a Beauty (Korean: 미인도; RR: Miindo) is a 2008 South Korean historical romantic drama film directed by Jeon Yun-su. Adapted from the bestselling novel Painter of the Wind (바람의 화원; Baramui hwawon) by Lee Jung-myung, the film portrays Joseon-era painter Sin Yun-bok (better known by his art name, Hyewon) as being a woman disguised as a man.^[2]

Portrait of a Beauty
Theatrical release poster
Hangul	미인도
Hanja	美人圖
RR	Miindo
MR	Miindo
Directed by	Jeon Yun-su
Written by	Han Su-ryeon
Based on	Painter of the Wind by Lee Jung-myung
Produced by	Choi Jun-yeong Kim Se-hun Lee Seong-hun
Starring	Kim Min-sun Kim Young-ho Kim Nam-gil Choo Ja-hyun
Cinematography	Park Hee-ju
Edited by	Park Gok-ji
Music by	Hwang Sang-jun
Production companies	Iroom Pictures Sponge Entertainment
Distributed by	CJ Entertainment
Release date	November 13, 2008 (2008-11-13)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	South Korea
Language	Korean
Box office	US$11.8 million[1]

Portrait of a Beauty opened in South Korean theaters on 13 November 2008.^[3] It was the 8th most attended domestic film of 2008 with 2,364,482 tickets sold.^[4][5]

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. 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, 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. 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 soar 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 art name 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.^[6][7]

Several art history scholars have criticized the Korean entertainment industry for distorting historical facts about the painter, who was unquestionably a man.^[8] The novel had also been adapted into the television series Painter of the Wind.

Awards and nominations

2009 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

2009 Grand Bell Awards

• 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

2009 Blue Dragon Film Awards^[9]

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