烈女圖에 담긴 폭력과 관음의 이중 굴레― 《五倫行實圖 烈女篇》을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper analyzed the Prints of Female Chastity(烈女圖) in Oryunhaengsildo(五倫行實圖), An illustrated Guide to the Five Bonds and examined the function of visual edification in the Era of King Jeongjo(Jeongjo, r. 1776~1800). The prints in Oryunhaengsildo casts various implications for the significance of its publication in the late Joseon Dynasty, the linguistic and visual environment exposed at the time, and the perspective on gender. Oryunhaengsildo attempted to renew the Hangeul translation and replaced the previous prints with the current style illustration, while conservatively maintaining the text part of earlier ethic books, Samganhaesildo(三綱行實圖), and Yiryunhaengsildo(二倫行實圖) to inherits the authority of the early age of Joseon court. Oryunhaengsildo adopted the painting style of popular prints widespread at that time. The illustrations of the late Ming novels had a wide influence on China’s prints of ethics and paintings of beauties. Oryunhaengsildo selectively accepted the characteristics of novel illustrations. For example, it takes expressions that glorify the gestures and facial expressions of characters or decorate the background with palace like buildings and gardens. On the other hand, it did not implicate emotional feelings such as romantic love for her husband or uneasy conflict between death and fidelity as shown in the late Ming ethic book for female, “Wang’s edition of the Famous Women,(王氏列女傳).” Oryunhaengsildo also restrained an erotic body exposure or overly stimulating and violent scenes from commercial prints. In this way, Oryunhaengsildo inherited the tradition of early Joseon Dynasty and was able to create a sophisticated and restrained ethic book by selectively adopting the elements in the popular paintings. How appropriate was this change and renewal for the function of the Oryunhaengsildo as an ethics book? It focused only on the women’s behavior to prove their integrity which leaded to death and neglected women’s conflict or the casual relationship of the case itself. The beautiful woman’s body and female inner chamber not only glorified her death, but also allowed a voyeuristic view of it. The scene of a woman’s body being amputated can arouse sadistic pleasure and voyeuristic gaze from the viewer. The Oryunhaengsildo must not have intended such effects from the viewer but it reflected the collective unconsciouness of the society which suppresse women with the double bondage, violence and voyeurism.