Origins & Early Life

Na Hye-sŏk (Korean: 나혜석, April 28, 1896 – December 10, 1948) was a Korean feminist, poet, writer, painter, educator, and journalist. Her art name was Jeongwol (정월; 晶月). She was a pioneering Korean feminist writer and painter. She was the first female professional painter and the first feminist writer in Korea.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She created some of the earliest Western-style paintings in Korea, and published feminist novels and short stories. She became well known as a feminist because of her criticism of the marital institution in the early 20th century. Na Hye-sŏk was born on April 28, 1896, in Suwon, Joseon. She was the fourth child of father Na Gi-jeong and mother Choi Si-ui, and a member of the aristocratic Naju Na clan. Na demonstrated her artistic talent from an early age and graduated at the top of her class at Jinmyeong Girls' High School in 1913.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As a young woman, Na was known for her high spirits and outspokenness, making it clear she wanted to be a painter and an intellectual, rejecting the traditional "Good Wife, Wise Mother" archetype. Her major written work, Kyonghui (경희), published in 1918, concerns a woman's self-discovery and her subsequent search for meaning...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — Contemporary (Born in 1896) (1896): Pioneering global spread of Krishna consciousness teachings and the Hare Krishna mantra.
• Alfred Nobel — Contemporary (Died in 1896) (1896): Pioneering chemist, inventor of dynamite, and founder of the Nobel Prizes.
• Anton Bruckner — Contemporary (Died in 1896) (1896): Master of Austro-German Romanticism, renowned for monumental symphonies and sacred works.
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Contemporary (Died in 1948) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Abdulrazak Gurnah — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Acclaimed Tanzanian novelist and Nobel laureate exploring themes of colonialism and refuge.
• Akira Mutō — Contemporary (Died in 1948) (1948): Imperial Japanese Army General implicated in war crimes during WWII.
• Albert Einstein — Shared historical date (04-18 · Died) (1955): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and E=mc2.
• Alexandre Alexeieff — Shared historical date (04-18 · Born) (1901): Russian-born artist, filmmaker, and illustrator known for inventing the pinscreen technique.
• Ada Lovelace — Shared historical date (12-10 · Born) (1815): Pioneering mathematician recognized as the first computer programmer.
• Armand Hammer — Shared historical date (12-10 · Died) (1990): American oil tycoon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist known for Soviet ties.
• 1896 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1896
• April 18 (04-18) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 18
• 1948 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1948
• December 10 (12-10) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 10