18세기 재경사족의 문화감각과 유만주의 서화취향

Abstract

This paper examined the literary taste of Yu Man-ju(兪晩柱, 1755-1788), reflected in Heumyeong(『欽英』), to investigate the characteristics of artistic sensibility of eighteenth century Chosŏn literati residing in Seoul(在京士族). Yu Man-ju's taste for writings and paintings could be satisfied by appreciating art pieces borrowed from his relatives, acquaintances and book dealers. These three channels were commonly used by most of the literati residing in Seoul, who wanted to enjoy art, having grown up in the eighteenth century Seoul to be exposed to the fashion of art appreciation, but could not afford to purchase and possess their own art pieces. Their passion for borrowing artworks reveals the importance of literary appreciation in the daily lives of the eighteenth century literati residing in Seoul. The fact that the book dealers at that time also dealt with paintings suggests the emergence of a middlemen that assumed the role of both book dealer and picture dealer, a distinctively Chosŏn phenomenon. Previous researches have depicted Yu Man-ju as a representative collector of writings and paintings in late Chosŏn period. However, this paper showed that the actual scale of Yu's own collection may have been much modest than has been presumed so far, by excluding the works that were not part of his own collection. Especially, the 120 pieces folding screen, which had been perceived as Yu's own collection turned out to be an imagined one, symbolizing the deficiency of his art world. This “imagined folding screen” represents the eighteenth century Seoul literati's longing for the art world, and for the life of Capital Oligarches(京華士族). By distinguishing the activities of “appreciating literary and artistic works” and “reading the literature on literary and artistic works”, this paper also found out that Yu Man-ju was interested in “learning” about arts, as well as “appreciating” it. His accumulation of vast knowledge on literary and artistic works suggests that cultivating the taste for literary and artistic works was perceived as something to be acquired, rather than something that can be enjoyed. This study also investigated the intimate relationship between the word “P'umgyŏk”(品格), or dignity, which appears as one of the key words in Heumyeong, and the appreciation of literary and artistic works. Yu Man-ju chose the interest in antique literature and art as a requisition for a sophisticated literatus. This reflects the atmosphere of the eighteenth century Seoul, where the appreciation and comments on arts began to form an essential culture among the literati residing in Seoul.