Buddhist Paintings and Sculptures of Joseon Period by National Museum of Korea

명품 불상·불화 남기고 잊혀간 '조선의 승려 장인' 재발견(종합)
박상현  / 2021-12-06 17:16:23
국립중앙박물관 특별전…국보·보물 15건 등 자료 145건 공개
1684년作 용문사 목각설법상 첫 나들이…"불교미술 아름다움 느끼길"

 

명품 불상·불화 남기고 잊혀간 ′조선의 승려 장인′ 재발견(종합)

 

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA PRESS RELEASE

National Museum to Spotlight the World of Monk Artisans
Buddhist Paintings and Sculptures of Joseon Period

The National Museum of Korea will explore the world of monk artisans during the Joseon Dynasty (1391-1910) through a special exhibition of Buddhist sculptures and paintings, beginning on December 7.  

The three-month exhibition, “Monk Artisans of the Joseon Dynasty: Buddhist Sculptures and Paintings,” will consist of 145 artworks representing the art world and lives of ancient monk artisans. A total of 366 monks were presumably involved in their creation.  

 

Wooden Seated Vairocana Buddha, Hyeonjin (active early 17th century) (above) and sixteen other monk-sculptors, Joseon dynasty, 1622, (below)  National Museum of Korea, Treasure

 

 

Among the most notable exhibits will be “Illustration of the Avatamsaka Sutra,” a National Treasure handed down at Songgwangsa Temple. Hwaryeon, who was active in the mid to late 18th century, and 12 other monk painters participated in creating this gorgeous piece, completed in 1770.  

Also remarkable are two Amitabha renditions at Yongmunsa Temple, created by Daneung, who was active from the mid-17th to the early 18th century, and eight other monk sculptors. Named “Wooden Seated Amitabha Triad and Wooden Amitabha Altarpiece,” these Buddha images will make their first trip outside of the temple since they were enshrined there in 1684.  

 

Underdrawings of the Eight Great Events of the Life of the Buddha from Tongdosa Temple, Joseon dynasty, ca. 18th century, National Museum of Korea

The Eight Great Events of the Life of the Buddha of Tongdosa Temple, Joseon dynasty, 1775, Tongdosa Museum, Treasure

 

The exhibition is designed to shed light on monk artisans and their workplaces. They had a dual identity: a religious ascetic who renounced secular life and a professional creator of Buddha images and other artworks to help redeem people as well as to advance their own spiritual attainment. 

Who were the Monk Artisans? 

The exhibition will have four parts: “Who were the Monk Artisans?” “A Space to Sculpt and Paint the Buddha,” “The World Dreamt by Monk Artisans” and “Remembering the Monk Artisans.”  

 

Wooden Seated Amitabha Buddha Triad and Wooden Amitabha Buddha Altarpiece of Yongmunsa Temple, Daneung (active mid- and late 17th − early 18th century) and eight other monk-sculptors, Joseon dynasty, 1684, Yongmunsa Temple in Yecheon, Treasure

 

Part I, “Who were the Monk Artisans?” will trace the role of monk artisans, who tended to work in obscurity despite their immense contribution to the spiritual world of many people and cultural standards of their society.  

The artifacts and related documentary materials will also show the characteristics of the artisan monks’ work and how it differed from secular art. Uniquely among the three East Asian countries, Korean artisan monks worked in groups to produce large-scale artworks needed by their temples. Thus, individual identities remain largely unknown.  

Part II, “A Space to Sculpt and Paint the Buddha,” will include virtual studios of monk sculptors and painters, though little is known about their workplaces to create exact replicas. This part also will explain the execution of projects, from the beginning to the end, to produce objects of faith that were deposited inside sacred images as votive offerings.

 

Illustration of the Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra) of Songgwangsa Temple, Hwaryeon (active mid- and late 18th century) and twelve other monk-painters, Joseon dynasty, 1770, Songgwangsa Museum, National Treasure

 

“The Eight Great Events of the Life of the Buddha,” an 18th-century painting handed down at Tongdosa Temple, will be exhibited along with its underdrawings to help viewers understand the process how the painting was produced.  

Under the title of “The World Dreamt by Monk Artisans,” Part III will introduce works by those who were recognized as the most representative monk sculptors and painters of the Joseon period. They will include the two Amitabha images from Yongmunsa Temple.  

Another outstanding piece to be exhibited in this section is a depiction of Sakyamuni Buddha preaching at Vulture Peak, from Haeinsa Temple. It is credited to Uigyeom, a respected senior clergy member and master of the brush who was active during the early half of the 18th century, and 11 other monk painters.  

Contemporary Reinterpretations

In Part IV, “Remembering the Monk Artisans,” installation artist Vakki will show how a contemporary artist interprets and responds to the world of ancient artisan monks. Her work will be paired with a Buddhist image created by an unknown monk in the late Joseon period. 

 

Shakyamuni Buddha Preaching at Vulture Peak of Haeinsa Temple, Uigyeom (active early 18th century) and eleven other monk-painters, Joseon dynasty, 1729, Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, Treasure

 

French media artist Jean-Julien Pous’ video “From the Hands” will welcome visitors at the entrance to the exhibition hall. It is a reinterpretation of the monk artisans’ arduous process of work with a metaphoric touch. Pous will present another video, “The World of Lotus Sanctuary,” inspired by “Illustration of the Avatamsaka Sutra of Songgwangsa Temple.”  

Twenty-seven institutions inside and outside of Korea have helped organize the exhibition. The exhibits will include two state-designated National Treasures and 13 Treasures, as well as five pieces listed as cultural assets of cities and provinces.