조선조 사대부의 초상화 존숭의 종교성 고찰

Abstract

This study examines why the Joseon Dynasty’s portrait of the noble families is drawn solemnly and neatly with an understated expression while staring at one place with consistent silence. In particular, this study intends to clarify this in connection with Zhū Xī’s remarks, “Put your clothes and coffins right, keep your eyes dignified, settle your mind quiet, and have a reverent attitude as if you were dealing with toward the God.” This point was examined by focusing on the solemn attitude shown in the portrait of the Noble Families in the late Joseon Dynasty, the respectful and afraid attitude, and the shape of the eyes of the tense frontal gaze. In particular, the present study examines in connection with the religious nature of attitude tower the God contained in the reason for refining from being alone. The noble families of the Joseon Dynasty held a realistic portrait instead of a deity when they held a memorial service for their dead ancestors. This point contains the reason that the portrait used during the ritual contains the soul of a character who becomes an object of respect and admiration. In addition, the portrait used during the ritual contained the reason for responding to energy in the same way as the descendants, and the portrait was also served as a medium for witchcraft. Accordingly, portraits were not just portraits, but sacred objects at the religious level. Moreover, most of the characters in the portraits used in the memorial service are depicted in a solemn, respectful, and afraid shape with fixed eyes, and this shape contained a kind of refining from being alone. In this way, the interpretation of the reason of refining from being alone as reverence and the understanding of attempting to act reverently even in invisible places include religiousness in addition to ethics. Specifically, this religiosity was expressed as a solemn gesture and a respectful yet fearful gaze in the portrait of the grandfathers holding ancestral rites. The gesture and gaze expressed in this portrait were a shape that contained religious piety and beliefs beyond the ethical discipline.