This thesis aims to study on paintings of Hosaengkwan Choi Buk (form 1712 to 1786), a painter from jung-in(中人) in the late Joseon period. He has built friendship with painters from upper class such as Kang, se Hwang (form 1713 to 1791), Sim, Sa Jung (form 1707 to 1769), Huh Pil(forml709 to 1768) as well as Lee Ik(form 1681 to 1763). He has even painted even when he was in his seventies, and many of his works have been preserved until today. And he has been famous for weird episodes.
However, few historic records about his life have been handed down except stories about his eccentricity, so it is difficult to write a chronology about his life. Therefore, I have tried to restore the records about his life as many as possible through documents about his existence and friendship with other painters, and study deep into his paintings in this thesis.
I have discovered that Choi Buk has been given direct influences who were painting in Ansan by comparing his works with their works. In addition to it seems that he has refined his insight on calligraphy and paintigs, and improved his recognition on literary paintings by building friendship with Lee, Kwang Sa(from 1707 to 1777) and Nam, Kong Cheol(from 1760 to 1840) who were famous as brilliant calligraphers and painters.
Many of his works have been handed down to the present times, and most of those works are landscape painting. In this thesis, I have categorized his works into the earlier period, the middle aged period and the old aged period by considering themes, objects, painting techniques and composition.
I defined his works painted in the period when he acquired the painting techniques of the painting style of Namjong (南宗畵風) that come into Joseon through studies on diverse painting books, and he has gone to Japan as a member of Joseon Emissary(朝鮮通信使) as the works in the earlier period(from 1712 to 1751).
In the middle aged period(from 1752 to 1764), he has painted landscape painting of actual view(眞景山水畵) in nature of Joseon such as Danyang (丹陽) and Keumkangsan(金剛山) while pursued painting techniques of the painting style of Namjong where rough brush with Chinese ink was used by following the techniques of late Won dynasty, he has also painted landscape painting of Mi's family style(米法山水畵). The respesentative paintingin this period include 〈Dankuseungyu-do〉(丹丘僧柔圖) painted in 1749, and 〈Keumkangjun-do〉(金剛全圖) and 〈Pyohoonsado〉(表訓寺圖) painted in 1755. Also, his techniques following the Mi's family style(米法) is well illustrated in 〈Mibubsansoodo〉(米法山水圖) painted in 1757.
In the old aged period(from 1765 to 1786), he pursued literary paintings and enjoyed expressing the idea at the same time, he developed his unique techniques. The representative work in the period include a landscape and figure painting like scene of watch the waterfall(觀瀑圖), as well as finger paintings(指頭畵), eight scenic views of 4 seasons(四時八景圖).
He has painted flowering, plant, bird and animal besides landscape. This indicates that has focused on sketching from nature and painting realistic pictures. It is interesting that he has painted flowers and birds, common themes of paintings in that period, as well as small plant.
Choi buk was the pioneer in acquisition of literati paintings techniques and development of his own styles as a painters from jung-in(中人) in the late Joseon period.
In this thesis, I have identified that Choi buk has pursued the literati painting of the painting style of Namjong(南宗畵風) by building friendships with literary painters from the Scholars of Southerners(南人系), and he has not just served as a painter for them to express their arts and cultures. Also, I have given focued on his influences on painrts of Japan. Through such an attempt, I have tried to identify his role in the late Joseon period.