Sixteen Arhats

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

This is a long scroll painted with illustrations of the Sixteen Arhats. The scroll begins with a bamboo thicket. The Arhats are depicted sitting or standing within a landscape of trees, rocks, and streams. Some meditate while others engage in conversation or recite sutras. The unique personality of each Arhat is expressed through their differing poses and expressions.
The figures have detailed facial expressions painted with crisp, sparse brushstrokes. The rocks and hills in the background are painted with broad, unrefined strokes, demonstrating the artist’s creativity and versatility. The background landscape links all of the images and unifies them into a single whole. A waterfall and mountains are painted at the end of the scroll. The style is reminiscent of the work of Liang Kai, a Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) painter, but there is no signature or seal imprint to help identify the artist. The back of the scroll contains an inscription by Weng Songnian.