본 연구는 조선말기 화단의 大尾를 마무리하는 화가 吾園 張承業(1843~1897)의 畵名이 그의 사후 100여 년간 어떠한 방식으로 구축, 평가되었는지 면밀히 고찰해 보는데 그 목적을 둔다. 장승업은 정식으로 그림을 배운 적이 없었음에도, 天才를 발휘해 산수, 화조, 영모, 인물, 기명절지까지 모든 장르에 뛰어났던 화가이며, 안중식・조석진에게 화풍적 영향을 미쳐, 한국 근대 화단의 화맥을 형성한 것으로 이해되고 있다. 이에 본고는 장승업에 대한 근현대기 문헌자료들을 검토하고, 장승업에 대한 인식, 작품 평가 및 변화의 제 양상에 주목했다. 먼저 仁同 張氏라는 큰 틀 아래서, 장승업은 역관들의 후원에 힘입어 화가로 성장한다. 장지연, 최남선, 오세창과 같은 지지자들에 의해 화가로서의 생애가 처음 기록되었으며, 김용준에 의해 상술되며 재발견되었다. 해방 이후에도 예술적 기질이 충만한 천재화가로서의 신화가 반복하여 생산되는 가운데, 오세창의 안목으로 컬렉션의 기반을 다졌던 간송미술관에서 수차례 특별전이 개최되면서 대가로서의 명성을 더욱 굳혔음을 관찰했다. 다만, 장승업에 대한 회화사적 평가는 많은 변화를 거쳤음을 목도할 수 있다. 오세창을 필두로 근대 초기의 기록들은 기명절지화를 주문에 대응하는 수응용 화목으로 보고, 정교하게 묘사한 산수와 인물에 상대적으로 높은 가치를 부여했다. 하지만, 점차 정선과 김홍도의 ‘조선적’ 화풍에 비견되면서 장승업의 특장이었던 산수와 고사인물도는 모화적, 전통 회귀적이며 기교적인 것으로 받아들여졌던 것 같다. 이에 장승업의 화가로서의 명성과는 별개로, 그의 작품에 대한 엇갈린 품평이 존재하게 된다. 중국풍의 정치한 산수와 호방한 기명절지로 대표되는 화풍과 평가기준 변화의 문제뿐만 아니라, 口傳에 구전을 덧입은 생애사, 작품의 평가를 초월한 大家의 畵名, 好酒와 奇行・代理 落款에 의해 돌파구를 찾기 어려운 진위의 문제들이 산적해 있기 때문일 것이다.
The purpose of this study is to thoroughly contemplate how the fame of Jang, Seung-eob, the painter who was at the finale of the art world of late Chosŏn period, was established and evaluated for 100 years after his death. Although he did not receive any official education in painting, Jang, Seung-eob showed his genius as a talented painter in all genres including landscape, flowers and birds, birds and animals, portraits, and flowers and fruits with dishes; he influenced Ahn, Jung-sik, and is understood to have affected the establishment of the art tradition of Korean modern art world. Thus, this paper examines the modern and contemporary documents on Jang, Seung-eob, examines the awareness about Jang, Seung-eob today, and inspects the evaluation and change of artwork by Jang, Seung-eob. First, this paper observed that Jang, Seung-eob, from Indong Jangs, developed into a painter by sponsorship from Chinese interpreters, and his life as a painter recorded by his supporters including Jang, Ji-yeon, Choi, Nam-seon, and Oh, Se-chang. Another notable point is that Kim, Yong-jun, who searched for the future of Chosŏn painting through traditional painting, had rediscovered Jang, Seung-eob. After the liberation of Korea, the myth as a genius painter full of artistic spirit had been repeatedly produced; through the insight of Oh, Se-chang, several special exhibitions were held in Gansong Art Museum, where the foundation of his collection was laid, and his fame as a master was consolidated even further. On the other hand, evaluation on Jang, Seung-eob was actually observed to go through much changes in the long period of time. Lead by Oh, Se-chang, the records of early modern period considered the flowers and fruits with dishes paintings as paintings that were drawn upon request, while relatively giving higher value to the landscape and portrait which were meticulously descriptive. However, after the liberation of Korea, the landscape and figure painting from old stories were gradually compared to the 'Chosŏn Style' painting methods by Jeong, Seon and Kim, Hong-do, and were considered Chinese-oriented, recursive to tradition, and mannerist. Thus, it seems that the tendency of today's academia is to evaluate Jang, Seung-eob as only the progenitor of 'Oh Won Painting Group.' This is not only due to the problem of his painting style and status represented by the Chinese style of meticulous landscape and magnanimous flowers and fruits with dishes; but also due to the accumulated problems of life history formed from oral tradition upon oral tradition, the fame as a master that surpasses the evaluation on his works, and the difficult authenticity that rises from his love of alcohol, eccentricity, and signature by deputies due to his illiteracy.