Lu Xinzhong

CHINA; Southern Song dynasty

Lu Xinzhong was a Buddhist painter during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). According to a Japanese record, Kundaikan Sauchoki, he specialized in painting images of the Buddha and the Ten Kings of Hell. From an inscription on one of his paintings, it is known that he was active in the Ningbo, Zhejiang area. Lu’s paintings show characteristics of Ningbo-style paintings with delicate brushstrokes and rich, contrasting colors.
As Ningbo was formerly a shipping harbor for trade with Japan, many of Lu’s works ended up in Japanese monasteries. Reputed paintings include Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, kept at Rozanji Temple in Kyoto; Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of Hell, kept at Eigenji Temple in Shiga; Ten Kings of Hell, kept at Hounenji Temple in Kagawa; Life of the Buddha - Parinirvana and Ten Kings of Hell, kept in Nara National Museum; and Sixteen Arhats, kept at Shokokuji Temple in Kyoto. These works are listed as Important Cultural Properties of Japan.