석지(石芝) 채용신(蔡龍臣)의 생애와 화조·영모화 = The Life of Seokji Chae Yongsin (1850-1941) and His Bird-and-Flower and Animal Paintings

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper examines Chae Yongsin’s career as a military official and his time as an officer of the court based on official historical records in addition to analyzing the characteristics of the bird-and-flower and animal paintings which he created. The Records of Government Administration (Gaksa deungnok) and the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat (Seungjeongwon ilgi) confirm that Chae was employed as a military official for approximately nine years under the name ‘Chae Dongsin.’ He passed his military exam and was appointed as a military administrator in 1886, after which he served as a military officer safeguarding the outpost at Godolsan Mountain and as military commander of Gusan. Chae took up professional painting in 1895 and became a portraitist of considerable renown, leading to his selection as the head painter to oversee the copy work of the royal portraits. In 1900, he served as county governor of Chilgok and a member of the Royal Secretariat (Jungchuwon), while in 1906, he took part in the royal wedding ceremony for King Sunjong and rose to the status of a junior second rank official.
In addition to his portraiture, Chae produced a large number of bird-and-flower and animal paintings, to the point that five of the pieces put on display at his posthumous 1943 exhibition fell into this significant category. Chae’s bird-and-flower and animal paintings divide into bird-and-flower type folding screens and animal type folding screens. Both incorporate elements of decorative court painting but simultaneously modify the material or draw on lighter coloring and traditional gradation (barim) techniques. They are rendered even more distinct by their lifelike portrayal of flora and fauna. Chae’s work constitutes an instance a local art circle incorporating and modifying the influence of the mainstream art community and should be considered a crucial resource in attempting to better understand the development of practices in Korean art in the early 20th century.