Mogao Cave 17: Life of the Buddha

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Tang dynasty

This late 8th to early 9th century painting depicts two of the Four Encounters. Prince Siddhartha is shown meeting an elderly man and a sick person. These sights awaken the prince to the suffering inherent in worldly life and inspire him to seek enlightenment.
The picture is divided into two scenes. In both images, the prince rides out of a palace gate on a white horse. In the upper register, an elderly figure with a bent back stands on the right. In the lower scene, a sick man lies beneath a tree. Figures with braids kneel beside him, trying to ease his suffering. Inscriptions within cartouches describe both scenes. Along with another similar picture also kept in the British Museum, this was likely part of a set of paintings on the Life of the Buddha.