군복본(軍服本) 정조어진(正祖御眞)의 제작과 봉안 연구 —사도세자에 대한 정조의 효심과 계승 의지의 천명—

Abstract

In the year 1791, King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) unofficially ordered the production of two portraits depicting him in military uniform. The larger version of the portraits was enshrined in Gyujanggak and the smaller version inside Hyeollyungwon. Hyeollyungwon is the tomb of his father Crown Prince Sado (1735-1762), who starved to death after being confined inside a rice chest by order of King Yeongjo (r. 1724-1776), Jeongjo’s grandfather. Both versions of Portrait of King Jeongjo in Military Attire (Gunbokbon Jeongjo eojin) do not exist anymore. But it is believed that the larger version is almost identical to Portrait of King Cheoljong (Cheoljong eojin) in terms of composition and depicted objects. Enshrining one of King Jeongjo’s portraits inside a building beside the tomb of his father follows the example of King Yeongjo, who had likewise installed his own portrait inside Naengcheonjeong. It is a pavilion belonging to Yuksanggung, which is the ancestral shrine for his biological mother Sukbin Choe (1670-1718). By installing his portrait in this manner, King Jeongjo attempts to create his public image in which he appears to be symbolically waiting on his father. It also visually conveys his intention to express his filial piety towards his father. But the fact that the king is portrayed in military robes deserves special attention. He made efforts to associate the military uniform with the very attire of his father because Crown Prince Sado wore it when the prince visited Suwon in 1762. Accordingly, he always wore his military uniform whenever he visited Hyeollyungwon in Suwon to show his filial piety. The particular clothing, which was chosen for these portraits of Jeongjo, can be interpreted as reflecting his filial piety as well as his wish to be seen as the successor to Crown Prince Sado. In this article, I have come to two conclusions. Firstly, the production and enshrinement of royal portraits during the Joseon dynasty were not separate. On the contrary, there are strong interrelations between producing the paintings and enshrining them in specific locations. Secondly, Jeongjo, different from previous kings, considered royal portraits to be formal objects of preservation, which were supposed to be maintained eternally for future generations. He also regarded his own portraits as a means of displaying his psychological selfhood and identity. In other words, this research shows how Jeongjo used his portraits to express his grief about his father as well as to confidently represent himself as the son of and successor to Crown Prince Sado.