조선후기 화승 진영상

Abstract

The portraits of Buddhist monks began to be created from the Age of the Three Kingdoms, and from the Unified Shilla Dynasty on many portraits were drawn for old priests. From the 19th century, portraits were created not just for old and virtuous priests but also for monk painters, and this tradition was continued until the mid 20th century. Currently there are 10 monk painter portraits extant from the 19th‐early 20th century, and some of them were painted by other contemporary monk painters like the portrait of Ssangwondang Min‐gwan (1814) painted by Toiwundang Shin‐gyeom and some were self‐portraits like that of Seokongdang Cheol‐yoo (est. 1915). The scope of portrait creation was expanded from the 19th century, but portraits were created not for all monk painters but mostly for monk painters who were also respected as a great priest or a scholastic priest and made remarkable contributions to the development of temples. Monk painter portraits are distributed evenly over the period from the early 19th century to the early 20th century, so we can examine changes in their characteristics over the period. Another noteworthy fact is that both the portrayed figures and the painters were the best monk painters in the corresponding area in those days. In other words, monk painter portraits are valuable materials for understanding the regional and temporal characteristics of Buddhist portraits in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as for examining the painters’ style. The fact that the portraits of monk painters were created from the 19th century suggests that the status of monk painters had been changed. Monk painter portraits used the monk painter’s pen name together with his name. It seems a popular trend for monk painters to have used pen names such as Gwanheodang Seol‐hoon, Yongbongdang Gyeong‐hwan, and Ssangwondang Min‐gwan since the mid 18th century. Because a pen name was used by people with high social status and economic power, the fact that monk painters used a pen name means that their painting skills were highly recognized and they reached a certain level of social standing and economic wealth. Turning the late 17th century and with the introduction of the private ownership system, monks also received lands. Furthermore, they accumulated wealth by producing goods or doing commercial activities by themselves. With the wealth, monk painters might find their position in the temple and even reach a status that allowed them to use a pen name openly. Many of monk painter portraits used the title ‘Great Priest.’ The title Great Priest was given to old and virtuous priests among Buddhist monks practicing Zen in the late Joseon Dynasty. Thus the use of title Great Priest instead of Monk Painter suggests that monk painters’ works were not limited to painting but they cultivated their virtue through training and won people’s respect. There were also monk painters like Min‐gwan who was appointed to government position ‘Gaseondaebu,’though nominal, and this shows the position of monk painters in the Buddhist circle in those days. The form or style of monk painter portraits is not much different from that of other portraits in those days. However, because such a portrait was created during the figure’s lifetime or after his death by another monk painter closely related to the figure or the most skillful one among his disciples, it is important as a touchstone for the painter’s skills and as a material indicating the relationship between the figure in the portrait and the painter or between their painting styles. Furthermore, considering that not all monk painters were portrayed but only those respected as a great priest in those days left their portraits, monk painter portraits provide clues to the features of the highest monk painters in those days and help us reilluminate the life of monk painters who were respected as a virtuous priest beyond their social standing as a monk painter.