󰡔唐宋八家詩選󰡕 序跋記文 서체 연구

Abstract

This study examines the calligraphic characteristics and art-historical significance of the seven prefaces and postscripts (序跋記文) included at the beginning of Tang-Song Bajia Shixuan (󰡔唐宋八家詩選󰡕), compiled in 1444 under the leadership of Prince Anpyeong (李瑢, 1418–1453) and the scholars of the Hall of Worthies (集賢殿). Beyond its function as an anthology of Tang and Song poetry, the work represented a cultural project that integrated literature, publishing, and calligraphy under royal patronage, providing a pivotal reference point in the history of early Joseon calligraphy. First, the study explores the reception and appropriation of Zhao Mengfu’s (趙孟頫) Songxue style (宋雪體) during the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods. Introduced through the establishment of the Hall of Ten Thousand Volumes (萬卷堂) by King Chungseon, Zhao’s calligraphic works were institutionalized during King Sejong’s reign and became naturalized under the local term Chokche (蜀體). While Zhao was morally criticized as a subject of the Yuan, his art was highly regarded as juelye (絶藝, supreme artistry), and this ambivalent reception shaped Joseon’s aesthetic discourse. Second, the study analyzes the calligraphic styles of individual contributors. Prince Anpyeong’s preface combined Zhao’s Songxue style with Wang Xizhi’s (王羲之) classical model, showing an elegant semi-cursive hand. Choe Hang and Bak Paeng-nyeon employed refined semi-cursive styles, while Sin Suk-ju utilized a balanced regular script reflecting the official court style. Yi Hyeon-ro presented a complex cursive script emphasizing literati individuality, and Yi Gae and Seong Sam-mun adopted semi-cursive and cursive styles with rhythmic tension and release. Such stylistic diversity indicates that these texts were intended not merely for legibility but also as artistic expressions. Third, the study situates these prefaces and postscripts within the broader context of typographic standardization in early Joseon. The interaction between movable type printing (e.g., the Gapinja type) and the publication of model calligraphic albums contributed to the codification of Songxue as the normative style. In this regard, Tang-Song Bajia Shixuan functioned as a cultural vehicle for establishing calligraphy as a national standard of taste and refinement. Notably, Prince Anpyeong’s seals conveyed not only personal authorship but also political and ideological commitments, integrating calligraphy and seal carving into a multilayered artistic statement. In conclusion, the prefaces and postscripts of Tang-Song Bajia Shixuan serve as critical evidence for understanding the reception and localization of Songxue calligraphy in early Joseon, as well as the collective effort of the Hall of Worthies scholars in shaping an official calligraphic norm. The work demonstrates how personal handwriting was transformed into a public and standardized style, reflecting the cultural politics of early Joseon calligraphy.