Hanging Scroll Behind the Sakyamuni Buddha and Paintings of Sixteen Arhats in Eungjindang Hall of Songgwangsa Temple Hanging Scroll Behind the Buddha and Buddhist Paintings

These are Buddhist paintings housed in Eungjindang Hall (a Jeollanam-do Tangible Cultural Heritage) of Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon. At the centre of the front wall hangs the Eungjin Yeongsan-taeng, a hanging painting placed behind the main Buddha image, depicting Sakyamuni's assembly on Vulture Peak, flanked on each side by four paintings of the Sixteen Arhats arranged symmetrically, together with paintings of Jeseok (Indra) and Beomcheon (Brahma). The central Eungjin Yeongsan-taeng depicts Sakyamuni Buddha at the centre with the Bodhisattvas Manjusri and Samantabhadra and the disciples Kasyapa and Ananda arranged symmetrically on either side, five figures in all. The picture surface, painted chiefly in bright red and ochre with accents of blue and green, has a bright, splendid feel. The Buddha, backed by a round halo, has a rounded face with small features. His robe, covering both shoulders, is edged with a floral border, its patterned decoration extremely fine and sumptuous. Manjusri and Samantabhadra, standing on either side, wear ornate crowns and robes patterned with various flowers, each holding up a lotus flower. The two disciples standing between the bodhisattvas and the Buddha are depicted in a natural pose, as if leaning slightly forward, and auspicious clouds filling the background show through the transparent halo. Painted in 1724, the work displays features typical of Buddhist paintings of the early eighteenth century: an elegant face, brushwork in pale ink, skilful line-work, and delicate decoration and colouring. In the paintings of the Sixteen Arhats, the odd- and even-numbered arhats are divided to either side of the central Eungjin Yeongsan-taeng; because the size of each panel varies with the width of the wall between the building's pillars, the number of figures in each panel also differs. The Sixteen Arhats are generally shown seated facing the central Buddha image, against a background of oddly shaped rocks and clouds. Each is accompanied by an attendant, and all have small eyes and mouths with little variation in expression. The colouring contrasts deep red, green and black with variations of light and shade to give a bright feel, and the name of each arhat is inscribed beside the figure. The paintings placed at either end depict Jeseok and Beomcheon on an ochre ground using red and green, full of dynamic vitality. These Buddhist paintings, housed within Eungjindang Hall, appear to have been made to match the devotional layout of the hall's interior, showing a unified scheme of arrangement and the system for expounding the Dharma within the hall. As a work of the early eighteenth century whose date of production is certain, and with the name of each figure recorded, it is also an important source for the study of paintings of the Sixteen Arhats, giving it both scholarly and artistic value.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Suncheon, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물