Eighteen Arhats
Ink and color on paper
Eighteen Arhats
CHINA
Wu Changshuo painted this long scroll when he was 71. The Eighteen Arhats are portrayed against a blank background. The Arhats are shown chanting, conversing, sitting in deep meditation, or making an offering. One Arhat sits on the back of a tiger. Another holds a vessel from which a dragon emerges. A seated Arhat raises his finger, and a trail of smoke topped with a Buddha image appears.
Various techniques applied with calligraphic brushwork create the unique characteristics and expressions of the Arhats, who appear either Chinese or Indian. Though the images seem somewhat simplistic, a closer look at the varied lines used to portray the robes of each Arhat reveals the skill of the artist.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting A-H, page 217.
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 = 217,
title = {{Eighteen Arhats}},
volume = 14,
year = {2016}}