본 연구는 한국과 일본의 근대교육 성립기에 있어서 서양미술 및 미술교육의 개념과 교육내용이 전래되는 과정에서 야기된 국수주의와 개화주의의 첨예한 대립 양상에 착안하여 당시 서양미술의 개념 정립과 학교 미술교육으로의 수용과정을 검토하는 데 목적을 두고 있다. 당시 일본에서 대립의 정점을 이루었던 두 학자의 서예를 중심으로 한 논쟁은 서예교육뿐만 아니라 서구식 미술교육의 성립 및 전개과정 전반을 추찰하는 데 커다란 단초를 제공하고 있으며 나아가 유사한 시대성을 겪은 우리나라 근대 미술교육의 맹아과정을 살피는 데 있어서도 중요한 사료를 제시할 만하다.
In the Japan art world at the end of the 19th century, Koyama Shyotaro and Okakura Tensin had a hearted argument about whether calligraphy could be included in the art field or not. However there was serious antagonism between the East and the West in the art world at that time; The emergence of ultranationalism and the resistance of Western artists against it were quite complicated in the art history. It is noteworthy in the art history that the argument did not simply related to the artistic value of calligraphy. That was why the art concept was not clearly defined at that time. The review of calligraphy essence based on the fact will be able to suggest remarkably to establish the direction of calligraphy education in the school education and also give us a proper clue to review the acceptance, establishment or change of the modern western art in the East. As a result, this paper shows the followings are required through the argument of Koyama(who tried to express Western artists's position) and the argument of Okakura(who tried to realize the Oriental art concept) at the time when art viewpoint as well as art title was confused: artistic universality and peculiarity of calligraphy, and scientific investigation and definite theory investigation in the artistic value of calligraphy. The art controversy related to calligraphy relates to both calligraphy and art, and it is in progress.