Arhat
Ink on silk
Arhat
CHINA; Southern Song dynasty
This picture was painted by Muxi, a renowned Chan monk and artist during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). He was known for his unconventional paintings that were as much a Buddhist teaching as they were an artwork. This image was brought to Japan, and is imprinted with the collectors seal of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1940. The Arhat, wrapped in a white robe, sits with his eyes closed in a mountain meadow. A python is coiled around the Arhat, and looks up with an open mouth. The Arhat, seemingly in a deep meditative state, is unconcerned with the fierce looking snake. The misty background of the painting elicits a sense of seclusion and contemplation.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting A-H, page 50.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Wilson, Graham and Manho and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting A-H},
pages = 50,
title = {{Arhat}},
volume = 14,
year = {2016}}