高宗代 純獻皇貴妃 嚴氏 發願 불화 (Buddhist Paintings Sponsored by Empress Eom during the Reign of King Gojong)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 국립중앙박물관
· 수록지 정보 : 미술자료 / 86호 / 111 ~ 136페이지
· 저자명 : 유경희

초록

Empress Eom (1854 -1911) was a royal concubine of King Gojong (r. 1863-1907, twentysixth king of Joseon). After entering the royal court as a maid of honor, she eventually rose through the hierarchy to attain the highest position for a lady of the royal court. Because of the Japanese occupation, Empress Eom could never officially succeeded Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895), but Empress Eom fulfilled the duties of a queen and ruled the ladies of the royal court.
During King Gojong’s reign, the nation was forced to modernize under pressure from other global powers, leading to many internal and external changes. Under these conditions, in the final years of the Joseon Dynasty, the members of the royal court turned to Buddhism to pray for peace and the repose of the preceding kings and queens. As such, the royal family supported many Buddhist temples by sponsoring the production of shrines, statues, and, most commonly, paintings.
The largest donor of all was Empress Eom, who freely utilized the private budget of the royal family to repair Buddhist buildings and produce Buddhist paintings. Empress Eom was a devout Buddhist from the time she entered the royal court, helping to raise money for various projects to create Buddhist paintings. For example, her strong beliefs are exemplified by Sinjungdo Painting (Gyeonggi Provincial Museum), which she sponsored in order to pray for long life and freedom from calamity. Empress Eom served in various levels and positions of the royal court, and the purpose and characteristics of those positions are reflected in the details of the paintings that she sponsored at various times. The last painting that she sponsored was Chilseongdo for Jingwansa Temple, painted in 1910 when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. The sponsors are listed in the painting’s inscription, which includes the followingstatement about Empress Eom’s lineage:“ A son Lee was born in the imja year, and a daughter Eom was born in the gabin year.”Despite this inscription, however, Empress Eom was never officially recognized as a member of the royal family.
One monk-artist involved in the production of paintings sponsored by the royal family was Gyeongseong Yanggong from Yangjoomok (present-day Seoul and Gyeonggi-do). Other sponsored paintings were made by highly skilled monk-artists, including Gyeongseon Eungseok, Geumgok Yeonghwan, Boam Geungbeop, and Geumhwa Gihyeong. Artists who followed traditional methods were preferred to those utilizing foreign techniques. The sponsored paintings featured brilliant colors, gold leaf, and high-quality materials.
People of all cultures have long believed that if desires are not fulfilled in this life, they may be fulfilled in some other world, perhaps in the afterlife. Inevitably, these beliefs tend to be strongest among people faced with harsh reality, as was the case for the last rulers of the Joseon Dynasty. According to an inscription on one painting, Empress Eom’s dharma name was “Daeyeonhwa,”meaning “large lotus,”symbolizing the world of Buddhism. No matter what her position in the royal court, she continually sponsored Buddhist paintings, both publicly and privately, to pray for the same objectives: comfort for her family, peace for her nation, and repose for her deceased ancestors.

영어초록

Empress Eom (1854 -1911) was a royal concubine of King Gojong (r. 1863-1907, twentysixth king of Joseon). After entering the royal court as a maid of honor, she eventually rose through the hierarchy to attain the highest position for a lady of the royal court. Because of the Japanese occupation, Empress Eom could never officially succeeded Empress Myeongseong (1851-1895), but Empress Eom fulfilled the duties of a queen and ruled the ladies of the royal court.
During King Gojong’s reign, the nation was forced to modernize under pressure from other global powers, leading to many internal and external changes. Under these conditions, in the final years of the Joseon Dynasty, the members of the royal court turned to Buddhism to pray for peace and the repose of the preceding kings and queens. As such, the royal family supported many Buddhist temples by sponsoring the production of shrines, statues, and, most commonly, paintings.
The largest donor of all was Empress Eom, who freely utilized the private budget of the royal family to repair Buddhist buildings and produce Buddhist paintings. Empress Eom was a devout Buddhist from the time she entered the royal court, helping to raise money for various projects to create Buddhist paintings. For example, her strong beliefs are exemplified by Sinjungdo Painting (Gyeonggi Provincial Museum), which she sponsored in order to pray for long life and freedom from calamity. Empress Eom served in various levels and positions of the royal court, and the purpose and characteristics of those positions are reflected in the details of the paintings that she sponsored at various times. The last painting that she sponsored was Chilseongdo for Jingwansa Temple, painted in 1910 when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. The sponsors are listed in the painting’s inscription, which includes the followingstatement about Empress Eom’s lineage:“ A son Lee was born in the imja year, and a daughter Eom was born in the gabin year.”Despite this inscription, however, Empress Eom was never officially recognized as a member of the royal family.
One monk-artist involved in the production of paintings sponsored by the royal family was Gyeongseong Yanggong from Yangjoomok (present-day Seoul and Gyeonggi-do). Other sponsored paintings were made by highly skilled monk-artists, including Gyeongseon Eungseok, Geumgok Yeonghwan, Boam Geungbeop, and Geumhwa Gihyeong. Artists who followed traditional methods were preferred to those utilizing foreign techniques. The sponsored paintings featured brilliant colors, gold leaf, and high-quality materials.
People of all cultures have long believed that if desires are not fulfilled in this life, they may be fulfilled in some other world, perhaps in the afterlife. Inevitably, these beliefs tend to be strongest among people faced with harsh reality, as was the case for the last rulers of the Joseon Dynasty. According to an inscription on one painting, Empress Eom’s dharma name was “Daeyeonhwa,”meaning “large lotus,”symbolizing the world of Buddhism. No matter what her position in the royal court, she continually sponsored Buddhist paintings, both publicly and privately, to pray for the same objectives: comfort for her family, peace for her nation, and repose for her deceased ancestors.

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