정원 속의 작은 정원 — 조선후기 盆景애호와 園林畵의 분경 —

Abstract

As there was a tendency of liking for BunKyeong (盆景, a little natural garden with flowers, stones, or sand in a pot) and WonRim (園林, a garden) in the late Joseon dynasty, they often appeared in paintings created by aristocratic gentlemen residing in Seoul. As gardening had been popular with the rapidly developing skills in the realm since the 17th century, they painted more and more BunKyeongHwas(盆景畫) that were placed inside the living quarters. In addition to this, there were publications that covered not only how to grow flowers but how to appreciate them. For instance, Suh You-gu(徐有榘, 1764-1845), politician) explained how pots should be placed, and Kang Se-hwang(姜世晃, 1713-1791), high government official, and representative painter) suggested a detailed description of how to decorate dwarf plants in a little pot, thus demonstrating how enthusiastically they were engaged in the art of gardening. Since the late 17th century when an emphasis was put on the interior of living quarters rather than on the surrounding landscape, the tendency of delineating landscape with little details in WonRim led into the inclusion of flower pots placed in the front yard. Jeong Seon (鄭敾, 1676–1759), well-known landscape painter, also known as by hispenname Gyeomjae(meaning humblestudy))utilized his cherished pots as subjects for YouGeoJi Hwa(a painting of living spaces)and EoiWon(意園) which means a ‘imaginary garden’. Kim Hong-do (金弘道, 1745–c. 1806), painter better known as Danwon (檀園)) accomplished a work of art in which past techniques(Go(古), the old) were aptly harmonized with present skills(Geum(今), the present) by painting BunKyeong for a present subject in the visionary yard where hermitlike gentlemen of integrity were laid back. Shrubs or SuSeok (水石 or 壽石, ornamental stones) planted in a little priceless porcelain served as ornamental objects for the enjoyment of visiting gentlemen. Therefore, it often appeared in Ahoi'-do(雅會圖)’(Elegant assembly Paintings) serving as a coveted subject for Garden Ahoi'-do. WonRim, as a space for AhHeo and a variety of amusements and BunKyeong as its component, demonstrates the widespread trend of gardening particularly in Seoul in the late Joseon Dynasty, realizing a sense of SiEun (市隱, intentionally avoiding to contact the world even though living in a city) and Gosa Mobang(高士 模倣, trying to imitate living styles of hermit like gentlemen of integrity) for gentlemen through gatherings with close friends. As such, BunKyeong in WonRimHwa as a movable element for garden creation in the late Joseon Dynasty served as a subject for serene appreciation in Ahoi'-do and as a visual language reflecting gentlemen’s culture.