Li Zhen

CHINA; Tang dynasty

Li Zhen was a painter during the rule of Emperor Dezong (reigned 779–805) of the Tang dynasty. A student of painter Yin Lin, Li was known for his Buddhist paintings, which include portraits of Buddhist figures and laypeople. According to Records of Temples and Pagodas, Li painted a portrait of Hariti at Zhaofu Temple in Shaanxi. He also painted Bodhisattvas in Zisheng Temple.
Li was commissioned by Master Huiguo to help paint the Nine-Panel Diamond Realm Mandala, the Eighty-One Deities of the Diamond Realm Mandala, and the Womb Realm Mandala. Li also painted the portraits of the Five Patriarchs of the Shingon School, which Master Huiguo gave to his disciple, the Japanese monk Kukai, before he returned to Japan.
The five portraits depict Vajrabodhi, Subhakarasimha, Amoghavajra, Yixing, and Huiguo. These portraits were painted with smooth, even brushstrokes, elegant colors, and accurate facial expressions. Two additional patriarchs, Nagarjuna and Nagabodhi, were added in Japan, completing the set known as the Seven Patriarchs of the Shingon School, which is listed as a National Treasure of Japan and is kept in Toji Temple, Kyoto.