蛟山 許筠(1569～1618)의 도피와 치유로서의 회화 인식

Abstract

Heo Gyun was a scholar who was active during the reign of King Seonjo(1567~1608) and Gwanghaegun(1608～1623) during the Joseon dynasty. He did not adapt himself to Confucian society and he had a defiant attitude. Under the circumstance, he spent most of his life reading, leaving behind a large number of works. He associated with a calligrapher, “Seokbong” Han Ho(1543∼1605) and painter “Naong” Lee Jung(1578∼1607). In addition, he maintained warm relationships with major painters and calligraphers of mid-Joseon dynasty, writing an epilogue to the book of “Herju” Lee Jing(1581∼?). Previous studies of Heo Gyun was mostly about his progressive and reformist literary theory and philosophy of resistance. This paper, however, attempts to examine Heo Gyun’s perception of painting from the perspective of his personal conduct and philosophy as it is reflected in his written records. As a result, the paper concludes that Heo Gyun, who had actively embraced new ideas and literature of the mid-Joseon dynasty, had a very different perception of painting compared to earlier writers. Writers of the mid-Joseon dynasty admired paintings while cultivating a Confucian mentality that communes with nature or wrote on Taoistic themes of unworldly matters through reviews and commentary on paintings. During the process of admiring paintings, most writers enter the stage of enlightment where they unconsciously become one with nature by subjecting themselves to nature. However, the painting for Heo Gyun, rather than a means for cultivating Confucian mentality or Taoistic unworldliness, is perceived as a means of escaping the pains of reality and, through the image of nature depicted within the painting, a space for recovering his bruised ego. Unlike other literary figures, Heo Gyun’s perception of painting is marked by a tendency to expose and project his personal internal world onto the painting. Through his appreciation of painting, he received comfort and the means to cope with real life. Such attitude by Heo Gyun was influenced by the comtemporary literary theory that rejected formality in favor of individual expression and concerns for the freedom of self. Heo Gyun was a writer who expressed his feelings openly while depicting and appreciating paintings. Whenever he suffered from discord with reality, he protected himself by escaping into the world of painting. In conclusion, Heo Gyun perceived painting as a psychological space wherein bruised ego can recover and be healed.