일본 무로마치 시대 수묵화 연구에 나타난 셋슈와 셋손의 인식에 대한 문제

Abstract

This essay explores the issues concerning Sesshū Tōyō (1420-1506?) and Sesson Shūkei (active 16th century), the two most prominent Zen Buddhist monk-painters of the Muromachi period (1337-1573) in Japan. The initiative for this study is based on a noteworthy phenomenon in the history of visual arts: although there is no direct link between the two, Sesson is often regarded in general as a successor to the Sesshū’s lineage, and two artists are often referred to as a pair, “Sesshū and Sesson.” This study also departed from a question that what historical conditions made possible to address Sesshū and Sesson as “two” leading masters of the Japanese monochrome ink painting. The first part of this essay examines this issue through the activities of Unkoku Tōgan (1547-1618) and Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539-1610), who were the contemporaries of Sesson and actively involved in the environment of competitive genealogizing, leading them to articulate explicitly their own pretensions to the prestigious Sesshū lineage. Both painters claimed Sesshū’s direct artistic descent and legitimacy by asserting their own lineage, which still survive today. However, in the case of Sesson, there is no evidence of himself claiming to Sesshū’s heritage, nor historical sources survive to prove their artistic interactions. Such circumstances can be criticized and concluded that Sesson has no links to Sesshū at all. And it may be pointless to look at their connection in the history of visual arts. However, this study attempts to move forward to seek how variable the lineages of painters are, and how they can be changed according to the needs and conditions by the creators. The latter of part of this essay examines the previous academic research on the artistic interaction between Sesshū and Sesson, and focuses on how the understanding and perception of Sesson changes in the association with Sesshū. Previous discourses on Sesshū and Sesson describe their relationship with vague and obscure rhetoric, as Sesson has no direct link Sesshū. Furthermore, scholars who referred Sesshū and Sesson as a pair intended to emphasize Sesson as the most important painter. In the early 20th century, it was Okakura Tenshin (1862-1913) who played a key role in the understanding of Sesson as the painter whose artistic technique and ability could rival with that of Sesshū. Teshin also suggested the influential genealogy of Muromachi ink painters, in which Sesson emerges as a descent of Sesshū. However, it is noteworthy that Sesson was revaluated and became most popular after the 1970s, as this was the time eccentricity of Sesson’s works drew keen attention to public. And this coincides with art historian Tsuji Nobuo (1932-)’s publication of The Lineage of Eccentrics (J. Kisō no keifu), the seminal book proposed for reappraisal of the eccentric artists of the Edo period (1603-1868), such as Itō Jakuchū (1716-1800) and Soga Shōhaku (1730-1781). Tsuji’s new Lineage at the same time enabled Sesson to emancipate from Sesshū’s lineage and became the precursor of the Edo eccentric artists. In this moment of revival for the eccentric artists, the understanding of Sesson changed from “Sesshū’s artistic descent” to “rival of Sesshū,” positioning him as one of the leading masters of Muromachi period. Therefore, we can conclude that the understanding of “Sesshū and Sesson” is present-day phenomenon and that Sesson is the formidable beneficiary of The Lineage of Eccentrics.