Kim Hong-do was a truly consummate artist with such diverse talent that he excelled in all categories of Asian painting. Regardless of the subject matter, whether a landscape scene, human figure, or flowers with birds, his brush strokes were always masterful. In particular, his most endearing works featured people from all segments of Joseon society as they went about their everyday lives. In fact, genre painting became a popular artistic trend of 18th-century Joseon. In contrast to Asian painting in general, which is often characterized by its idealistic or philosophical expression, the adoption of realism in genre painting distinguished it as a unique art form. As compared to the usual works of abstraction, which would often cause people to pause in bewilderment, his animated depictions of everyday scenes were received with widespread enthusiasm. Moreover, no other genre painters could infuse their works with the enduring charm of Kim Hong-do.
Around that time, the artistic styles of Classicism and Romanticism held sway over the Western art world. The Western artists, whose lives closely overlapped with that of Kim Hong-do, included Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) of France, and Francisco Goya (1746-1828) of Spain. David was a painter of the Neo-classical style and an ardent supporter of the French Revolution. His The Death of Marat painting, a masterpiece of Western genre painting, is said to be a silent but powerful expression of the tragic reality of his times. Spanish court painter Goya’s works, in the Romantic style, likewise revealed the tumultuous situation of contemporary Spain.