Going beyond the understanding of the meanings of themes and iconography in previous comparative studies on the Hwaeomgyeon gbyeonsangdo (華嚴經變相圖) paintings at the Magao Grottoes in Dunhuang (敦煌 莫高窟), China and those in Korea, this study purposed to find their symbolic values and meanings, to interpret them comprehensively, and to explain the connection between the history of fine arts and the history of religion.
Most of previous studies are limited to simple analysis of the themes or forms of art works or the division of periods without interpreting the general iconographic and stylistic characteristics of the works. In order to supplement these limitations, this study assumed that Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo at the Magao Grottoes in Dunhuang, China is the origin of Korean Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings, and analyzed each of the periods between the two. Through this, it aimed to explain similarities and differences, and the developmental relationship between the two. Furthermore, this study aimed to find the causes of stylistic changes and formative characteristics in each period from the aspect of form, and to explore association with the religious system in those days in order to understand the practical nature of Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo.
In order to achieve these purposes properly, the study was conducted as follows.
Chapter II briefly explained the structure and thought system of Hwaeomgyeong (Avatamsaka Sutra), which provides the contents expressed in Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo. Chilcheoguhoi in Hwaeomgye ong describes Buddha’s supernatural power and Bodhisattvas’ merit and virtue, and its central themes are awakened Buddha, discipline system toward awakening, etc. The fundamental position of this scripture is the open manifestation (開顯) of true awakening (正覺), and it expresses that it is just after Buddha’s attainment of Great Wisdom in terms of time and that the lion seat (獅子座) under the bodhi tree is Jeokmyeoldojang (寂滅道場) in terms of space. It was found that these contents of sutra were expressed well in the Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsang do paintings at the Magao Grottoes in Dunhuang and those in the late Joseon Dynasty.
Chapter III discussed Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo at the Magao Grottoes in Dunhuang. The Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings at the Magao Grottoes in Dunhuang describe the contents of Buddha’s sermons on earth and in heaven described in Hwaeomgyeong. That is, the lower part depicts terrestrial preaching and the upper part does celestial preaching using icons. However, the paints show different stylistic characteristics by period.
Chapter IV discussed the transmission of Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo to Korea and its development in each period.
First, Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo in Shilla shows Buddhist mass (法會) centering on the shrine hall as in Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings during the period of the Tang Dynasty, and Buddha, left and right Bodhisattvas, etc. are arranged in the composition of preaching.
Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo in the Koryo Dynasty inherited and developed the characteristics of Shilla. Early works utilized spaces in the entire screen and used natural line drawing, but gradually diagramming and formalization were introduced and space on the screen was reduced gradually over time and the entire screen was fully filled up.
In the first half of the Joseon Dynasty, Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings from the Koryo Dynasty were used as they were, and many works were created during the second half. According to the survey for this study, many works were still extant including Hwaeomgyeongs obyeonsangdo, Palsangdo Rokwonjeonbeopsangdo, and Chilcheoguhoido Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo Chapter V, which is the core theme of this study, examined the iconographic characteristics of Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings in the late Joseon Dynasty. There are three colored Buddhist paintings created in the 18th century, which are Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings, respectively, at the Songgwang?sa Temple, Seonam?sa
Temple, and Ssanggye?sa Temple. The one at Songgwang?sa (1770) was painted mainly in orange and green, which were popular colors in the 18th century, and changes were added with ink and light colors (水墨淡彩) in accordance with the overall atmosphere of the screen. The overall tones of Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo at Seonam?sa (1780) was leaf green for the terrestrial preaching scene in the lower part and blue for the celestial preaching scene in the upper part. Compared to those at the Songgwang?sa and Seonam?sa, Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo at Ssanggye?sa (1790) shows unstable drawing lines in describing things and uneven folds of robe (衣紋線), and its colors are dark reddish brown and green cloud contrasted with Buddha’s red robe and sea blue sky. According to the findings of this study, this work is characterized by simplified color and strong contrast of color in the entire screen. Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo at Tongdo?sa (1811) is expressed with line drawing in gold (金泥線描) on carbon paper (墨紙).
The face and body of each sacred image is colored in gold powder, and the shrine hall, the clothes of each sacred image, and cloud are expressed finely with a slender brush (細筆). Buddhist paintings expressed with gold and silver powder on carbon paper (墨紙) or orange paper (紅紙) are found at temples throughout the country, and this suggests the popularity of this painting technique during the 19th century.
Chapter IV divided the Joseon Dynasty based on the three Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings examined above, and the stylistic characteristics and development of Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo were examined for the 4th period (the reigns of Kings Yeongjo and Jeongjo) and the 5th period (the reigns of Kings Sunjo and Sunjong). What is more, the trends of painting styles were examined for monk painters Hwayeon (華蓮), Bihyeon (丕賢), Kwayoon (快允), and Pyeongsam (評三) who worked mainly based on the area of Mt. Jogye, and Gyeseong (戒成), Cheonsu (天守), and Gwanbo (官甫) who were active in the Gyeongsang?do area. Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo at the Tongdo?sa Temple, which is distinguished in form from the three at Songgwang?sa, Seonam?sa, and Ssanggye?sa, was created by line drawing in gold on silk?based carbon paper (絹本墨紙), and while maintaining the style of the 18th century, it shows fine touch and polished art of drawing of the monk painters active around the Tongdo?sa Temple in the early 19th century.
The characteristics of the Korean Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings found through this study are summarized as follows.
That is, Korean Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings adopted the style of Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo in Dunhuang and China, but they were expressed in more polished and elegant fine touches, and the screen was fully filled up without space but completed in the form of balance and harmony. These features maximize religious symbolism and visual effect. In other words, these works, as religious paintings to be worshiped, deliver the meanings of the contents of sutra effectively, and express both pious and refined majestic beauty and gorgeous and elegant decorative beauty. Therefore, they can be regarded as the quintessence Buddhist paintings that play properly their functions and
roles as religious paintings.
As presented above, through a long period since its introduction, Korean Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsangdo paintings developed from the narrat ive and passionate expression of the original Hwaeomgyeongbyeonsang do at the Magao Grottoes to more symbolic and mind expressions, and from brilliant and deep colors to elegant and light colors in the late
Joseon Dynasty.