Zhou Jichang

CHINA, Zhejiang, Ningbo; Southern Song dynasty

Zhou Jichang was a painter from Mingzhou (present day Ningbo, Zhejiang). In 1178, Zhou and Lin Tinggui were invited by monk Yishao of Hui’an Temple in Zhejiang to create a series of Five Hundred Arhats paintings. The task included illustrating 100 sets of five Arhats, each in varying poses and scenes; the endeavor took over 10 years to complete. The Five Hundred Arhats was a massive work that exemplified the popularity of arhats during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) and is considered a particularly important piece in the history of Buddhist paintings. Of the 100 original paintings from the series, 82 are kept at Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, and are listed as an Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Twelve paintings were brought to the USA in the early Meiji period (1868–1912); 10 of which, including Classic Miracle, Receiving Offering, Receiving Offerings from Foreigners, Transfiguration in the Cloud, Giving to the Poor and Hungry, Witnessing Light from a Relic, Manifesting as Avalokitesvara, and Crossing the Sea are kept at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Massachusetts, USA, and two others are kept at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., USA.
Among the Five Hundred Arhats paintings which are kept at Daitokuji Temple, Crossing the River in Windy Rainstorm, Offering of Corals, and Discussion by Rocky Hillside are painted by Zhou .