Abstract
In 1794, several copies were made of a portrait of Heo Mok (1595-1682) based on an original portrait produced in 1676 (the second year of the reign of King Sukjong). The original portrait was likely created to commemorate Heo Mok's being awarded the position of Uuijeong (Third State Councilor) and his entry into the Giroso (club for the elderly officials) at the age of eighty-two. This portrait of Heo Mok at the age of eighty-two was stored at Eungeodang Hall in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province. One hundred eighteen years later, in 1794, King Jeongjo revealed that he had long admired Heo Mok and ordered that Heo Mok's portrait be brought to him. This later led to the production of copies of the portrait. Chae Jegong (1720-1799) brought the portrait of Heo Mok at the age of eighty-two from Eungeodang Hall and had Yi Myeonggi, a prominent portraitist of the time, make copies of it. King Jeongjo viewed the completed portraits and ordered the production of another copy in a concertina format and had it stored at a royal palace. By doing so, King Jeongjo made Heo Mok, the eminent official from the previous generation, one of his close officials. This helped him to strengthen his policy of impartiality (tangpyeongchaek) while gaining support from the Southerners. After discussions between King Jeongjo and his officials, it was decided to enshrine the copies of Heo Mok's portrait at Sosu Confucian Academy in Yeongju and at Confucian academies in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi-do Province and Naju, Jeollanam-do Province. This story was written in the collection of literary works of Chae Jegong and in records related to Sosu and Micheon Confucian Academies. Through the examination of historical records and existing artifacts, this paper has concluded that a total of five copies of the portrait of Heo Mok were made in 1794. They include the version in the collection of the National Museum of Korea, the version in a concertina format, and two respectively enshrined at Micheon and Migang Confucian Academies. There is also a half-length portrait passed down through the Heo family. Immediately after the death of Heo Mok, a Confucian academy was built to commemorate his memory. However, it appears that no portrait was enshrined there. When the copies of Heo Mok's portrait were produced in 1794, one was enshrined at this Confucian academy. On the day when the original portrait from Eungeodang Hall left Yeoncheon and arrived at the capital Hanyang to be copied and on the days when copied versions left the capital, the Southerner faction centering on Chae Jegong held grand gatherings. Beyond simply the meaning of enshrinement in a Confucian academy, the production of a portrait served as an opportunity to unite scholarly lineages and strengthen their solidarity for political purposes. Although Sosu Confucian Academy was not built in memory of Heo Mok, the Southerners insisted on sending a portrait of Heo Mok to it. They did so in an attempt to establish the academic legitimacy of the lineage that started with Yi Hwang (1502-1571) and was carried on by Jeong Gu (1543-1620) and Heo Mok through the process of copying and enshrining portraits. By ordering the production of copies of a portrait of Heo Mok, an eminent official who had served previous kings, King Jeongjo was able to gain support from Chae Jegong and other members of the Southerner faction. This led to King Jeongjo recruiting Heo Mok, a representative of the Southerners from the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions, symbolically as one of his close officials. In this sense, both King Jeongjo and the Southerners came to achieve their respective objectives. Portraits were traditionally copied when their originals were worn out or to be enshrined in a Confucian academy. The portraits of Heo Mok at the age of eighty-two also carry a multilayered meaning since they were reproduced within the political context of King Jeongjo's policies and the Southerner's consolidation of scholarly lineages.
1794년 모사된 <허목 초상>의 원본은 1676년(숙종 2)에 처음 그려졌다. 허목이 우의정이 되고 기로소(耆老所)에 들어간 것을 기념하고자 했을 가능성이 크다. 그렇게 제작된 82세 허목 초상은 경기도 연천 은거당(恩居堂)에 보관되어 왔는데, 118년이 지난 1794년 정조가 오래도록 흠모하였다고 밝히며 허목 초상을 구해 들여올 것을 지시하면서 모사가 시작되었다. 채제공(蔡濟恭)(1720~1799)은 은거당에서 허목 82세상을 들여와 당시 최고의 초상화가 이명기에게 허목 초상을 모사하도록 하였다. 완성된 초상은 정조가 열람하였으며, 첩장본을 추가로 모사하여 궁궐 내에 두도록 하였다. 정조는 이를 통해 선대(先代)의 명신(名臣)을 자신의 근신(近臣)으로 삼아 탕평책을 강화하고 남인들의 지지를 얻을 수 있었다. 정조와 대신들은 논의를 거쳐 영주 소수서원(紹修書院)을 비롯하여 경기도 연천과 전남 나주에 소재한 서원에 봉안하기로 결정하였으며, 이러한 내용은 채제공의 문집을 비롯하여, 소수서원과 미천서원 관련 기록에 남아 전한다. 본고에서는 기록과 현존 유물을 통해 국립중앙박물관 소장본, 첩장본으로 다시 모사된 본, 미천서원, 미강서원에 봉안된 본, 총 4점과, 종손가에 소장되어 온 반신상 1점까지 총 5점이 1794년에 모사된 것으로 결론지었다. 허목 사후에 바로 그를 모신 서원이 세워졌지만 초상은 봉안되지 않았던 것으로 보이며, 1794년 모사본 제작이 되면서 봉안되었음이 확인된다. 모사를 위해 은거당 원본이 연천에서 도성 안으로 들어오던 날과, 모사된 초상이 도성 밖으로 떠나던 날에 남인들은 채제공을 중심으로 대대적인 회합을 가졌다. 초상화 제작은 서원 봉안이라는 의미를 넘어, 정치적으로 학맥을 결합하고 결속을 다지는 계기가 되었다. 소수서원이 허목을 모신 서원이 아니었음에도 불구하고, 대신들이 허목 초상을 소수서원으로 보내야한다고 주장했던 것은 초상의 모사와 봉안의 과정을 통해 이황(李滉)(1502~1571)에서 정구(鄭逑)(1543~1620)로, 다시 허목으로 이어지는 학문의 정통성을 정립하고자 했기 때문이었다. 정조의 입장에서도 선대 왕의 명신이었던 허목 초상을 모사함으로써 채제공 및 남인들의 지지를 얻을 수 있었다는 의미에서, 근기남인(近畿南人)의 대표 허목을 그의 근신 그룹으로 끌어온 것과 마찬가지 효과를 이루었을 것이니, 이렇게 정조와 남인은 각각의 목적을 달성할 수 있었다. 초상화는 원본이 낡았을 경우나 서원 봉안을 목적으로 모사되었던 전통이 있었는데, 허목 82세상은 그러한 전통적인 모사 맥락을 넘어서, 정조의 전략과 남인들의 학맥 결집이라는 정치적 맥락 속에서 재탄생하였다는 중층적 의미를 가진다.