이 글은 경남 하동 쌍계사(雙磎寺) 고법당(팔상전) 영산회상도의 양식에 관한 연구이다. 쌍계사는 우리나라 불교미술사 연구에 있어 매우 중요한 위치를 차지하는 사찰로서, 조선 후반기 불교미술문화재의 품격과 작품성을 살펴볼 수 있다.
쌍계사에 소장된 여러 종류의 불교미술문화재 가운데서도 특히 불교회화는 17세기 후반부터 20세기까지 꾸준히 조성되어 왔다. 현재 쌍계사 불화 대부분은 18~19세기 때 조성된 것들로서 영산회상도, 아미타후불도, 약사불도, 삼세불도, 치성광여래도, 괘불도, 팔상도, 화엄경변상도, 감로왕도, 삼장보살도, 지장보살도, 신중도, 독성도, 나한도, 진영도 등 다종다양한 주제의 불화가 35여점이나 소장되어 있다.
이 중에서 조성시기가 가장 빠른 불화는 고법당인 팔상전 후불도로 조성된 영산회상도( 숙종 14년,1688년)이며 이는 17세기 후반기의 양식 특징을 파악할 수 있는 매우 중요한 불화이다. 이에 본 논문에서는 이전의 연구들을 기반으로 하여 쌍계사 소장 불화의 핵심인 팔상전 영산회상도를 좀 더 구체적으로 고찰해보았다.
그 결과 첫째, 887년 최치원이 지은 ?眞鑑禪師大空靈塔碑銘?과 1549년 휴정대사의 ?지리산 쌍계사 중창기?, 1857년 침명 한성선사의 ?嶺南河東部雙磎寺事蹟記文?의 기록으로 쌍계사의 역사를 알 수 있었다.
둘째, 화기에 기록된 ‘고법당’은 옛날 법당으로 쌍계사 가람배치를 통해 1640년대까지는 현재 팔상전이 주법당으로 사용된 것을 알 수 있었다. 이후 벽암스님에 의해 대웅전 영역이 중창되며 옛날 법당을 ‘고법당’으로 칭해온 것을 확인할 수 있었다.
셋째, 쌍계사 팔상전 영산회상도는 조선 17세기 중반~18세기 초반 까지 불교 화단을 주도한 화승 ‘천신’의 작품으로 도상 특징 및 양식 특징에 대하여 살펴본 결과 17세기 영산회상도의 연구에서 중요한 불화임을 파악할 수 있었다.
넷째, 대형불화의 군도 형식 구도는 본존불상에 집중할 수 있는 효과를 주며 화승 ‘천신’의 차별화된 예술성으로 화면 전체에 생동감 불어 넣어 그의 뛰어난 작품성을 표현했다는 점을 엿 볼 수 있었다.
This is a study on the style of the Painting of the Assembly of Sakyamuni Preaching at Vulture Peak in the Old Buddhist sanctum (Palsangjeon) of Ssanggyesa temple (雙磎寺), Hadong, Southern Gyeongsang Province, Korea. Ssanggyesa temple is a temple that occupies a very important position in the study of Buddhist art history in Korea, and the dignity and workmanship of Buddhist art cultural assets in the late Joseon era can be examined.
Among the many types of Buddhist art cultural assets housed in Ssanggyesa temple, in particular, Buddhist paintings have been steadily developed from the late 17th century to the 20th century. Most of the present Ssanggyesa temple Buddhist paintings were created in the 18th and 19th centuries, and there are about 35 Buddhist paintings on various and diverse themes in the collection here, which include the Painting of the Assembly of Sakyamuni Preaching at Vulture Peak, Amitabha Buddha Statue?backing painting, Bhaisajyaguru painting, Three World Buddha painting, Tejaprabha Buddha painting, Buddha Banner Painting, the Eight Scenes painting, Avatamsaka Sutra byeonsangdo painting, the Nectar Ritual Painting, There are over 35 Buddhist paintings on various subjects such as Tripitaka Bodhisattva Painting, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Painting, Painting of buddhist guardian deities, Dokseongdo, Arhat Painting, and icon painting.
Among them, the earliest Buddhist painting was the Painting of the Assembly of Sakyamuni Preaching at Vulture Peak (King Sukjong 14, 1688), which was created with the Buddha?backing painting of Palsangjeon, an Old Buddhist sanctum, and it is a very important Buddhist painting that can grasp the stylistic characteristics of the second half of the 17th century. Thus, in this study, based on previous studies, the Painting of the Assembly of Sakyamuni Preaching at Vulture Peak at Palsangjeon, which is the core of Buddhist painting in Ssanggyesa temple, was examined in more detail.
As a result, first, the history of Ssanggyesa temple could be grasped through the Epitaph of Priest Jingam Daegongryeong Pagoda (眞鑑禪師大空靈塔碑銘) written by Choi Chi?won in 887 and “Mt. Jirisan Ssanggyesa Temple Reconstruction Record” by Buddhist priest Hyujeong in 1549, and the records of Yeongnam Hadong Ssanggyesa Temple Records (嶺南河東部雙磎寺事蹟記文) by the esteemed priest Chimmyeong Hanseong in 1857.
Second, the ‘Old Buddhist Sanctum’ recorded in the painting record is an old sanctum, and through the layout of the Ssanggyesa temple buildings, it was found that the current Palsangjeon was used as the main sanctum hall until the 1640s. After that, the main sanctum hall area was rebuilt by monk Byeokam, and it was confirmed that the old sanctum was called the ‘Old Buddhist Sanctum’.
Third, the Painting of the Assembly of Sakyamuni Preaching at Vulture Peak at Palsangjeon of Ssanggyesa temple is a work of the painter monk ‘Cheonshin’, who led the Buddhist painting world from the mid?17th century to the early 18th century in the Joseon era, and from the results of examining the characteristics of images and style, it is found that it is an important Buddhist painting for the study of the Painting of the Assembly of Sakyamuni Preaching at Vulture Peak in the 17th century.
Fourth, the archipelago?type composition of the large Buddhist painting has the effect of concentrating on the main Buddha image, and with the differentiated artistry of the painter monk ‘Cheonshin’, the entire screen was brought to life, giving us a glimpse into the fact that he expressed his outstanding craftsmanship.