설악산 신흥사 극락보전에 대한 연구 (A Study on Geukrakbo-jeon of Seoraksan Mountain Sinheungsa Temple)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국불교미술사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 강좌미술사 / 45호 / 77 ~ 106페이지
· 저자명 : 손신영

초록

설악산 神興寺는 향성사의 후신으로 여겨지나, 현 위치에 창건된 것은 1644년이고, 주불전인 극락보전은 1649년 초창되었다. 이때 湖南지역에서 주로 활약하던 각 분야의 匠人들이 초청되어 대대적인 불사가 이루어진 바는 1651년 조성된 <목조지장보살삼존상>의 복장 축원문을 통해 추론할 수 있다. 축원문에 ‘碧巖覺性대사가 증명하고 無染派가 조성했다’고 되어 있어, 당시 전국의 건축공사를 진두지휘했던 벽암각성이 신흥사 창건불사도 맡았던 것으로 볼 수 있기 때문이다. 단, 신흥사의 법맥을 살펴보면 淸虛系의 鞭羊門派여서 浮休系인 碧巖覺性대사 門徒가 지속적으로 관여했다고 보기는 어렵다.
신흥사는 조선왕실의 忌辰齋를 지내는 王室願刹이었다. 國忌日 현판과 극락보전 우물천장에 왕실기원 문구가 쓰여진 바는 이러한 관계를 입증하고 있다. 더욱이 正朝의 승하 직후에는 忌晨齋를 봉행하는 追福寺刹로 기능하는 한편, 津寬寺의 屬寺로도 지정되었다.
신흥사극락보전은 17세기 중반 창건되어 18~20세기를 거치면서 총 5회의 중수·중창을 거쳐 현재에 이른다. 창건 당시 모습은 평면형식과 柱間너비, 18세기 중창은 꽃살문과 연화쇠서형 공포, 19세기 중수는 판벽 등을 통해 유추할 수 있다. 신흥사극락보전은 17세기 초창되어 19세기 중창된 내소사 대웅보전 및 18세기 중창된 동화사 대웅전과 유사한 건축형식이다. 신흥사극락보전이 호남의 僧匠들에 의해 창건되었다고 본다면 내소사 대웅보전과 유사한 건축형식이라는 점을 이해할 수 있고, 18세기 이후 건축형식이 보편화되었다는 학설에 따르면 동화사 대웅전과 유사한 건축형식이라는 점도 이해할 수 있다. 따라서 신흥사극락보전은 17세기 호남 僧匠에 의해 창건되어 18세기 중창·19세기 중수 당시의 건축형식 수용 양상을 기록과 현상을 통해 파악할 수 있다는 점에서 의미 있는 건물이라 하겠다.

영어초록

Seoraksan Mountain Sinheungsa temple was founded in the area around Sokcho in 1644 and, the main building of the Sinheungsa temple, geukrakbo-jeon(極樂寶殿) was built in 1649. From The Wooden Triad-Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Statue(神興寺 木造地藏菩薩三尊像) in the myeongbu -jeon(冥府殿), we can deduce that there was a major Buddhist service done by various monk architects who were active in Honam area at that time. The written prayer for Triad Buddhist Statue says that the statue was approved by Great Monk Byeogam Gakseong and was built by the Muyeom School (無染派), which confirms that Byeogam Gakseong who was spearheading nationwide temple constructions took a charge of Sinheungsa temple construction as well. However, we can hardly predicate that Byeogam Gakseong’s disciples of Buhyu-gye school(浮休係) were continuously involved in Sinheungsa temple since Sinheungsa temple had the Buddhist doctrines based on pyeonyang sect(鞭羊門派) of cheongheo-gye school(淸虛系). Sinheungsa temple served as a temple of pray for good luck, performing memorial ritual service(gisinjae, 忌辰齋) for the Joseon Dynasty.
The signboards indicating the anniversaries of the death of Kings and Queens of Jeseon dynasty and the prayer for royal family’s well being written on the ceiling of well at geukrakbo-jeon show its close relationship with the Joseon Dynasty. Right after the death of King Jeongjo, Sinheungsa temple carried out his memorial service and was designated as a temple preparing food for ancestral rites, affiliated to Jingwan-sa temple(津寬寺).
Sinheungsa temple Geukrakbo-jeon went through a total of five times of restoration and rebuilding from the 18th to 20th century and became its present form. The original form of Geukrakbo-jeon at the time of foundation can be inferred from unit plan, column spacing and the form at the time of rebuilding in the 18th century can be inferred from the flower lattice door and yeonhwa soiseo type gongpo, and the form at the time of restoration in the 19th century can be inferred from the lining sheathing. Geukrakbo-jeon was first built in the 17th century and had a similar building type with daeungbojeon of Naeso-sa temple rebuilt in the 19thcentury and daewoongjeon of Donghwa-sa temple rebuilt in the 18th century. Assuming that geukrakbo-jeon was built by master artisans in Honam area, it is understandable that it is similar in building type with daeungbojeon of Naeso-sa temple. Also, according to the theory that the building type was generalized after the 18th century, it is understandable that it is similar in building type with daewoongjeon of Donghwa-sa temple. Therefore, geukrakbo-jeon can be described as a building that was built by master artisans in Honam area in the 17th century and adopted the most common building type at that time when rebuilt in the 18th century.

참고자료

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