일제강점기 ‘조선’ 화단의 식민지화를 목적으로 창설된 조선미술전람회는 당대 일본 화단의 중진들을 심사원으로 위촉하여 그들의 눈으로 조선인 화가와 재조선 일본인 화가의 출품작을 심사하고, 수상작을 선정하여 관설미술전람회의 모범적인 작품 경향을 조성해나갔다. 조선미전 심사원들은 출품작 심사를 위해 조선을 방문한 김에 조선을 여행하거나, 조선미전 창설 이전에도 그림의 소재를 구하기 위해 조선 각지를 여행하면서 여행 기록과 작품을 남겼다. 본 논문에서는 조선미전 심사원들중 여행 기록과 작품이 남아있는 마에다 세이손(前⽥青邨, 1885-1977), 나카자와 히로미쓰(中澤弘光, 1874-1964), 이시이 하쿠테이(⽯井柏亭, 1882-1958), 다나베 이타루(⽥邊⾄, 1886-1968), 야자와 겐게츠(⽮澤弦⽉, 1886-1952), 이케가미 슈호(池上秀畝, 1874-1944)를 대상으로 하여, 이들의 여행 기록을 분석하고, 작품을 살펴보았다. 본 논문에서는 이들의 여행을 제국주의적 관점에서 확장된 영토의 경험과 시각화, 식민지 여행의 장려 측면에서 고찰을 시도해 보았다. 아울러, 이들이 동어 반복적으로 기술해온 조선의 인상이 무엇이었는지를 여행 기록에서 구체적으로 확인함으로써, 결론적으로 이들에게 각인되었던 조선의 인상이 결국은 조선미술전람회 심사에서 강조되었던 ‘지방색’, ‘조선색’, ‘로컬컬러’의 기준이 되었음을 밝히고자 하였다.
Established for the purpose of colonizing Joseon painting circles during the Japanese colonial era, the Joseon Art Exhibition appointed the then leading figures of Japan’s artistic milieu to the exhibition jury. This jury was responsible for selecting winning entries among the works submitted to the exhibition by both Joseon artists and Japanese painters residing in Korea. Inevitably, the imposition of partisan influence on the judging process allowed the exhibition to construct its own conventions for acceptable or exemplary submissions to government-sponsored exhibitions that were based entirely on a Japanese perspective. While visiting Joseon to fulfill their responsibilities, members of the exhibition jury also traveled throughout the country. Some had journeyed to the different regions of Joseon even before the inception of the exhibition to explore various subject matter that would influence their own artistic repertoire. These excursions throughout Korea yielded new works of art and travel records left behind by those serving on the exhibition jury. This article focuses on the judges of the Joseon Art Exhibition who left behind traces of their activities in Joseon such as Seison Maeda (前⽥青邨, 1885-1977), Hiromitsu Nakazawa (中澤弘光, 1873-1964), Ishii Hakutei (⽯井柏亭, 1882-1958), Itaru Tanabe (⽥邊⾄, 1886-1968), Gengetsu Yazawa (⽮澤弦⽉, 1886-1952), and Shūho Ikegami (池上秀畝, 1874-1944). An analysis of surviving travel records and an examination of the art inspired by each judge’s time in Korea suggest that the Japanese jury moved with the intention of creating opportunities to not only vitalize colonial tourism policies, but also to reinforce Joseon’s identity as a “new territory” of Japan. These objectives are further demonstrated in the shared language used to depict an interchangeable “visage of Joseon” repeatedly presented by the different Japanese members of the exhibition jury. In conclusion, this article aims to reveal that the identity and essence of Joseon was decided and defined by the jury of the Joseon Art Exhibition, which eventually formed the judging criteria for an authentic portrayal of “local color” or the “color of Joseon”.