Ascetic Sakyamuni

CHINA; Ming dynasty

An inscription in the lower right corner states that this picture was painted by Ding Yunpeng when he was 58 years old. Dressed in a white monastic robe, bearded, blue-haired Sakyamuni sits on a mat of leaves beside a small pond. His head rests on his arms, which are crossed atop his left knee, and he gazes downwards in deep contemplation. Sakyamuni’s fingernails and toenails are long, and he wears simple earrings, bracelets, and anklets. On the left side of the painting, there is a large, gnarled pine tree with its roots clutching a rock. The dense pine needles are painted with fine lines. The steep slopes and rounded peaks of the green mountain behind Sakyamuni are depicted with curving lines and dots of ink. There are mist shrouded mountains in the background. The many different kinds of lines, the cool colors, and the strange harmony of the curves in the posture of Sakyamuni, the tree, and the mountains make this a captivating artwork.