Sixteen Arhats

CHINA; Qing dynasty

These images are from a book of pictures of the Sixteen Arhats painted by Jia Quan, a court painter during the rule of Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795). Two of the Arhats walk across a narrow bridge. One wears a gray robe and holds a staff; he turns back to talk to a tall Arhat with joined palms. A short attendant carrying a pack walks behind the two men. In the other picture, two Arhats sit on mats on the edge of a cliff and look down at a white monkey who holds up a piece of fruit as an offering. The figures and the landscape are painted in a style resembling that of the Yangzhou school. Light ink lines are used to paint the faces of the Arhats and edges of the rocks, while dark strokes are used to outline the robes and the tree branches.