Vairocana Three-bodied Buddha Painting and Votive Objects of Cheonchuksa Temple

This Buddhist painting has a wide horizontal composition divided into an upper and a lower register: the upper register shows the Three-bodied Buddha seated side by side, and the lower register shows a row of bodhisattvas. Of the Three Bodies, the Dharma Body, Vairocana Buddha, sits at the centre forming the wisdom-fist mudra (jigwonin); to his proper right sits the Reward Body, Rocana Buddha, both hands raised to shoulder height in the preaching mudra (seolbeobin); and to the other side sits Sakyamuni Buddha, also in the preaching mudra, his right hand raised in front of his chest. All three Buddhas bear a round head halo and body halo and sit on lotus thrones set on an altar decorated with a wood-grain pattern. In the space around the three Buddhas, the uppermost tier holds four bodhisattvas and, to left and right, the Buddhas of the Ten Directions; the tier below holds two bodhisattvas together with Brahma and Indra, placed between the three Buddhas. The tier below that, between the three Buddhas and the bodhisattvas of the lower register, shows the Venerables Kasyapa and Ananda flanking the knees of the central Vairocana Buddha, with bodhisattvas attending at either end. All eight bodhisattvas of the lower register bear a round head halo and a rectangular body halo with rounded corners. Except for Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva, all the bodhisattvas wear an identical, ornate crown and each holds an attribute in hand. Although this is a painting of the Three-bodied Buddha, it shows unusual iconography not seen before. It was made under the direction of the master painter Gyeongseondang Eungseok, who was active in the Seoul and Gyeonggi region from the mid-19th century onward, together with the painters Hwangam, Hyejo, Gyeongrim, Tanin and Changoh. Gyeongseondang Eungseok generally painted in a traditional style, as here, but sometimes altered the iconography in his own way to create new compositions; the elongated face with very small features, the flower-patterned outer robe, the colour scheme of red, green and blue, and the wood-grain pattern are all stylistic hallmarks of Eungseok's paintings. A donor inscription in the lower right of the painting records that Court Lady Park, born in a gi-yu year (1849), and Court Lady Kim, born in a gi-yu year, together with others, offered the painting on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, Lady Min, born in a sin-hae year (1851), praying for her enduring health and a life of ten thousand years — showing that Court Ladies Park, Kim and others sponsored the painting for Empress Myeongseong, Lady Min (1851–1895). Overall the painting is well preserved in its original form, though the upper part of the composition has darkened with soot and the upper right corner of the canvas is partly torn. This painting is a notable work for its unusual iconography; it was directed by Gyeongseondang Eungseok, a leading monk-painter of 19th-century Seoul and Gyeonggi, and certified by the great Seon master Ha-eun Yega (1828–1898). It also carries historical significance as a painting commissioned by court ladies on behalf of Empress Myeongseong. The votive objects found during conservation treatment of the Vairocana Three-bodied Buddha Painting of Cheonchuksa Temple (additionally designated on 15 January 2015) date from the same period as the painting itself and are valued together with it as important material.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Dobong-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산