Buddhist Painting of Seonamsa Temple, Suncheon (The King of Sweet Dew)

The Gamnowangdo, or "King of Sweet Dew" painting, depicting the salvation of departed souls, was painted in 1736 at Seonamsa Temple under the direction of the master-painter Uigyeom. An inscription within the painting records it as the "Lower Altar Painting of the West Stupa Hall", indicating that it was made to be enshrined in the temple's West Stupa Hall. The composition follows the standard format for this type of painting: the Seven Buddhas together with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Bodhisattva Guide of Souls occupy the upper register; a pair of hungry ghosts and an altar table form the middle register; and scenes of the Six Realms of rebirth fill the lower register. A notable feature of this painting is that the Seven Buddhas in the upper register are given far greater visual weight than the middle and lower registers, which is thought to be intended to emphasise the function of the Gamnowangdo in guiding the spirits of the deceased to a better rebirth through the Suryukjae, a rite for the salvation of beings of water and land. The calm tonality of green and red on a yellow ground, together with the assured brushwork and the restrained yet lively scenes of the Six Realms, mark this out as a masterpiece that fully demonstrates the ability of the monk-painter Uigyeom.

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Where it is

Region

Suncheon, Jeonnam & Gwangju

Designation

Treasure · 보물