The Gisaeng's Hidden Canvas
DramaDramatic, Tense, Hopeful3 audio scenes
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1 chapter • 3 scenes
Summary
In 18th century Joseon Korea, a talented gisaeng painter secretly creates masterpieces attributed to male court artists. When the king commissions a portrait that could expose her deception, she must navigate the dangerous intersection of art, honor, and survival in a society that reveres her work but would destroy her for creating it.
Characters
Royal Inspector Choi
Court Painter Kim
Kim Min-ji
Settings
The Hidden Studio
A small windowless room behind a storage area in the gisaeng house, where Min-ji paints by candlelight. Canvases are stacked against walls, brushes hang in careful arrangement, and the air smells permanently of linseed oil and secrets.
The Royal Portrait Chamber
The king's private reception room where the portrait will be unveiled and the "master artist" is expected to appear. Every surface gleams with royal authority, every shadow seems to hold watching eyes.
The Royal Court Gallery
A vast hall with polished stone floors where Kim displays "his" masterpieces to admiring court officials. Sunlight streams through high windows, illuminating paintings that everyone believes were created by male hands.
Story Structure
1
The Shadow Artist
Min-ji paints in secret while Court Painter Kim takes credit, establishing the deception that has protected them both for a decade.
1
The Masterpiece in Shadows
Min-ji completes a landscape masterpiece in her hidden studio, Kim presents it as his own to the king who then commissions a portrait and demands to meet the master artist, setting the central conflict in motion.
1
The Secret Masterpiece
Min-ji works through the night in her hidden studio, completing a landscape masterpiece with moonlight over mountains.
2
The Stolen Debut
Court Painter Kim presents Min-ji's landscape to the king and court officials, receiving lavish praise for work he did not create.
- Story ID
- story_KsH7yeG4kd5TfOrB
- Created
- January 12, 2026
- Art Style
- traditional-korean-painting (artistic)
- Status
- published
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