18세기 전반 회화의 새 경향 －정선(鄭敾) 고사인물화(故事人物畵)의 유형과 그 표상

Abstract

Through his many accomplishments in the early 18th century, Gyeomjae Jeong Seon(謙齋 鄭敾(1676～1759)) is known as a luminary who led a new genre of painting during the late Joseon dynasty. It is noteworthy that Jeong painted ‘figurative paintings about the ancient stories’(故事人物畵), except becoming famous for establishing the beginnings of real shan shui painting(眞景山水畵), moving beyond the rules of the previous era that had limited painters to depictions of idealised scenery. He brought each of the historical figures back to life on canvas, and incorporated relatively unfamiliar subjects about the gosa(高士, hermit-like old gentlemen of integrity) into his paintings, there by making his respectful and favorite items generally known to the world. In addition, his interpretations of literary works helped him depict the gosa figuratively, thus assuring the clarification of messages and embodiment of abstract concepts. Further more, he incorporated the subjects into Joseon scenery, transforming the figures of the past into the present tense as contemporaries, and created AhHeoDo(雅會圖). From the early and middle gosa portraits in the Joseon era, he drew upon traditions of how to compose subjects and structure each element on canvas. Jeong chose pertinent types of figures accordingly under each theme, absorbing the characteristics of print which had been introduced since the 17th century. The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting(『芥子園畵傳』) was particularly influential on him in regards to the expressions of gosa painting, and it is note worthy that the styles of JeomKyeong figures, which literally mean, “an image of landscapes dotted with human figures” were partly inserted into formalized shansui painting, there by contributing tot he popularization of gosa imagery. As a classical ideal man painted in actual scenery, the gosa created a scene of hermit dedicated to spiritual learning by pursuing freedom from social conventions. As such, Jeong attempted to pay respect to gosas as his mentors(師古人), and to be in harmony with their spirit(師造化), by recognizing them as real saints or respected gentlemen through his gosa portraits. Jeong, with his cease less efforts to pass on traditional techniques, and accept new ones from NamJongHwa(南宗畵), continued his study during the late 18th century and finally created more stylized painting in the 19th century.