Gwanryongsa Temple: Illustration of the Ullambana Sutra

SOUTH KOREA, South Gyeongsang, Changnyeong; Joseon dynasty

In the upper register of this painting, there are images of the Seven Buddhas of the Past, a Bodhisattva as a Guide, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. The lower register uses delicate, symmetrical mountains as a background and shows life in the human and hell realms with dancers and drummers, a king and his ministers, men and women dressed in Korean clothing, hungry ghosts, and hell guardians.
The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are colored in red, green, and blue. The yellow mountains, green trees, and the clothing on the figures in the lower register are colored with a mild tone. The formulaic depiction of figures and the economy in strokes is typical of Korean Buddhist images created during the late 18th century. Other representations of the Ullambana Sutra usually portray a solemn offering ritual or Sakyamuni Buddha teaching the Dharma. Paintings of this sutra seem to become progressively simpler in structure over time. The addition of scenes of local life reflect a trend in Korean Buddhist painting during the late Joseon dynasty (1392–1910).