Buddhist Painting in Yeongsanjeon Hall of Tongdosa Temple (The Eight Great Events)

This is a palsangdo, a painting depicting the Eight Great Events of the Buddha's life, which divides his life story — from birth, through spiritual practice, to entry into nirvana — into eight scenes. Painted in colour on silk measuring 151 cm in width and 233.5 cm in height, it consists of eight panels in all, each set in a frame and hung on a wall for display. The eight scenes are: Sakyamuni descending from Tusita Heaven on an elephant into this world; his birth through the side of Queen Maya at Lumbini Park; the young prince observing the suffering of ordinary people outside the palace gates and feeling the impermanence of life; his leaving home to become a monk against his parents' wishes; his practising austerities with hermits in the snowy mountains; his overcoming every temptation and threat during his ascetic practice; the Buddha's first sermon at Deer Park; and his death beneath the twin sala trees. Each panel leaves almost no space empty, the composition well divided by backgrounds of buildings, trees and clouds to express the corresponding scene clearly, and explanatory text is added to describe the content of each scene and aid understanding. The mountains and rocks are rendered with outstanding brushwork, and the figures are depicted with great vitality. This painting was made in 1775, the fifty-first year of King Yeongjo of Joseon, by a group of painters. As it is in good condition and its date of production is certain, it is a valuable source for the study of Joseon-period Buddhist painting.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Yangsan, Gyeongnam

Designation

Treasure · 보물