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영어

The Korean modern period was characterized by turmoil and upheavals as the country opened up to the outside world at the end of the Joseon era, and then proclaimed itself an empire, before being annexed by the Japanese empire. The new cultures and ideas that flowed into the country had a huge influence on many sectors of society. Buddhist paintings were no exception to the rule, even though the world of religious art in general was very conservative. The sketching and expression techniques employed in Buddhist paintings underwent various changes during this period, diverging from past traditions. The monk-painter Kim Ilseop, one of the leading Buddhist artists of the modern period, produced distinct works of art that reflected the trends of the turbulent era he lived in. He was born in 1900, just three years after Joseon had been renamed as the Great Korean Empire. He grew up during the Japanese colonial period, and in the 1920s began to forge a career as a painter, remaining active until the 1970s. His talent was recognized early on and he was able to work as a monk-painter as a young man. His talents were such that he was commissioned in 1938 to create a Buddhist painting for Daeungjeon Hall (main hall) of Taegosa Temple on Chongbonsan(Headquarters of Head Temples). An examination of his works will reveal certain distinct characteristics. First, his preliminary sketches differed from those of traditional Buddhist paintings of the Joseon period. Second, he used the chiaroscuro technique to create a realistic three-dimensional effect. Third, the composition of his paintings resembled that of Western religious paintings, and he made heavy use of western painting techniques such as dessin techniques. Kim engaged in artistic endeavors on many fronts; he painted religious pictures related with other faiths, constructed stages for Buddhist plays, and did the ‘dancheong’ painting work of traditional buildings. His wide-ranging interests and activities and his personal work ethic, in combination with his talents, fueled his prolific output of Buddhist paintings, some of which have come to symbolize Korea’s modern era.

한국어

한국 근대기는 개항과 더불어 조선 말에서 대한제국으로, 그리고 일제강점기를 거치는 격변의 시기였다. 이 시기를 통해 유입된 새로운 문물은 다양한 분야에 걸쳐 영향을 미쳤다. 보수성이 강한 종교화였던 불화도 예외는 아니어서 밑그림과 표현기법에 있어 이전 시기와는 차별성을 보이는 불화들이 제작되었다. 이런 가운데 화승 김일섭은 근현대기의 대표적인 불화승으로 격변하는 시대의 흐름에 부응해 특징적인 불화들을 제작하였다. 일섭은 대한제국기인 1900년에 태어나 일제강점기를 겪으면서 1920년대 전반 화업의 길에 들어서 1970년대까지 활발하게 활동하였다. 일섭은 일찍부터 재능을 발휘하며 수화승으로 활동하였고, 1938년에는 총본산 태고사 대웅전의 불화 제작을 맡을 정도로 그 실력을 인정받았다. 현전하는 일섭의 불화들을 살펴보면, 대체로 전통적인 조선시대의 불화들과 차별성을 가지는 밑그림이 눈에 띠며, 명암법을 통한 입체감의 구현과 사실적 표현, 서양 성화를 연상시키는 구도와 데생 등 능숙한 서양화법을 두드러지게 사용하고 있는 점이 특징이다. 그의 활동영역은 불화 외에도 타 종교의 종교화 제작, 불교 연극무대 제작, 건물의 단청을 비롯해 매우 넓고 다양했다. 그의 재능에 다양한 관심과 활동, 노력이 더해져 근현대를 대표하는 수많은 불화를 제작할 수 있었던 것으로 생각된다.