Paying Respect to the Buddha

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This painting is part of the People and Landscape Album by Jin Nong. Within a hut, a man wearing a tall hat and long robe kneels on a cushion in front of a Buddha statue placed on a high table. Outside, there are two tall trees with dark leaves.
The simple composition is painted with fine strokes and pale colors. Jin’s seal prints and signature are on the right side of the painting. The inscription reads in part: “paying respect to the Buddha by joining palms; devotion comes from heart and can never be imitated. Burn incense three times, clean the body three times, then diligently study the sutras; the extraordinary atmosphere stays eternally in the grove.”