朝鮮中期 水墨文人畵 硏究 - 四君子畵를 중심으로 -

Abstract

In the mid-Joseon period, the system and culture of Songrihak (性理學) (Neo-Confucianism) which served as its ideological basis, gradually developed and outgrew the vestiges of the previous period. A variety of attempts for the advancement of new society and culture found their expression in the world of learning and art. In particular, scholar ink paintings flourished greatly and experienced remarkable changes unprecedented in this art milieu. The main subjects of the day were grape and pine as well as the Four Gracious Plants (四君子): plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo. These subjects were favored and regarded as paragons of virtue(道體) and reifications of the Confucian ideal, by the Confucianists who were leading figures in society and culture throughout the mid-Joseon period. In other words, the connotative meanings of the Four Gracious Plants, implying the essential qualities of the virtuous man (君子) like fidelity and integrity, were expanded and suggest that their already existing sentimental approach had become more ample and profound. This altered perception of Confucianists seems to be the cornerstone in the development of scholar ink paintings. The development of scholar ink paintings was undoubtedly associated with that of Confucianism. Furthermore, the devastating invasions from Japan and China like the Imjin waeran (1592) and the Byeongja horan (1636) also had certain influence on the development of scholar ink paintings. Ink bamboo and plum images, as metaphorical parallels of fidelity and integrity, were highly requisite in times of bitter suffering from anomy and chaos. Thus, the tireless spirit of scholars gradually became both an essential, common sentiment and aesthetic orientation during the mid-Joseon period, when the country successively underwent adversities, such as innovation, crisis and conquer. That is to say, scholar ink paintings of those days exactly reflected the following elements: the potent and dynamic force in the dawning of the new era, the destitution of the war, and the self-confidence resulting from overcoming these hardships. Along with the internal factors of this change in scholar ink paintings, the cultural exchanges with the China Ming Dynasty could be referred as its external impetus. Ming cultural inroads into Joseon resulted from the shape of large scale wars and the Korean practice of traveling and studying in China. Scholars, however, objectively analyzed the merits and weaknesses of Ming paintings and created their distinctive, original styles. Thus, the characteristics of mid-Joseon scholar ink painting became considerably different from those of Ming in many ways: simple and clear composition, rapid and strong brushstroke, condensed vitality, compactness and tension, employment of subjects where detailed description is conjoined with emphasized symbolical meaning, focused composition stressing subjects' features, plastic sense and emphasis on sharp contrasts, exquisite harmony between the calligraphic and the pictorial. In conclusion, scholar ink paintings of the mid-Joseon period could be epitomized as a kind of paragons or symbols, where aesthetics and feelings of contemporary scholars and general artistic trends converged. Besides, these paintings are of cardinal significance not only as an exemplar of scholar ink painting but also because of their peculiar aesthetics demonstrating the establishment of stylistic conventions. Therefore, scholar ink paintings of the mid-Joseon period deserve attention and need to be re-estimated in accordance with their great influence on the art of Joseon.