경복궁 사정전 <쌍룡도> 벽화의 설치 배경과 제작 시기 검토

Abstract

On the upper wall of the central hall of Sajeongjeon in Gyeongbokgung Palace, there used to be a painting of twin dragons playing with a magic ball of cintamani. The painting was taken off the wall for safe storage and future reference after the Cultural Properties Committee decided that the painting was unsuitable for the dignity of the Joseon royal family due to its material and style. Despite this decision, few studies have been conducted on how it ended up in the palace hall. In this study, the main discussion focuses on the background to the installation of the painting in Sajeongjeon Hall, its history, and the current situation. The discussion includes an examination of a photograph of the test paper sheets used to back the painting that was kept among the documents produced at the time of its removal in 2000. The examination of the backing paper suggested that it could have been a test paper of the state examination held in the third month of 1866, during the reign of King Gojong (r. 1863-1907) of the Joseon dynasty. It shows that the upper part of the rear wall of Sajeongjeon Hall was part of the original building at the time of the renovation of Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is conjectured that, as shown by the dragon paintings hung over the imperial throne in Bohwajeon, Geoncheonggung, Gyotaejeon, Hwanggeukjeon and other halls used as the emperor's council hall in the Forbidden City in China, the renovators of Gyeongbokgung Palace adopted the ceremonial paintings in the imperial court of Qing for the royal palace of Joseon, including the twin dragon mural on the upper part of the rear wall of Sajongjeon Hall in the renovated palace. This study also compares the style of the painting with that of other dragon paintings produced by the royal court of Joseon during the late nineteenth century in an effort to identify its date of production. The painting captured the traditional subject of a pair of dragons chasing after a magic ball of cintamani, but its style seems to be closer to the Japanese cloud and dragon paintings marked by the use of ink and a shading technique aiming for a three-dimensional effect, rather than the traditional court paintings of Joseon, which featured the use of detailed brush- strokes and deep-color pigments. When the Japanese Government-General of Korea held the Korean Product Promotion Fair at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Sajeongjeon Hall was converted into an exhibition hall, called the Bagaegwan, following a renovation project in which the painting was removed together with the throne and the board fence. It is conjectured that the twin dragon painting was made at a later date and hung on the wall to cover the space left empty after the industrial fair. It was in 1963, after Gyeongbokgung Palace was designated as a Historic Site, that the area around Sajeongjeon Hall underwent major repairs. The interior of the hall was neglected even after the 1945 Korean liberation until 1986 when the wall painting, heavily damaged by then, underwent its first preservation treatment. The twin dragon painting was removed together with the board wall in 2000, leaving it in the condition we can see today.