Who painted 羅漢図|Rakan?

羅漢図|Rakan was painted by Keinin Sumiyoshi in 15th century.

Where can I see 羅漢図|Rakan?

羅漢図|Rakan is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is 羅漢図|Rakan?

羅漢図|Rakan is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

羅漢図|Rakan

Keinin Sumiyoshi , 1449

羅漢図|Rakan is an ink painting by the Renaissance artist Keinin Sumiyoshi. It dates from 1449 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 29.100.441
Credit line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is executed as a hanging scroll combining ink and color on silk, consistent with Muromachi-period Zen painting conventions.

The work is executed as a hanging scroll combining ink and color on silk, consistent with Muromachi-period Zen painting conventions. The handling employs delicate line work and subtle washes to articulate the figure’s robes and physiognomy, with restrained palette emphasizing ink monochrome punctuated by light mineral pigments. The composition centers on a single robed monk in three-quarter view, the formal posture and serene mien aligning with iconographic conventions for arhats in Japanese Zen imagery of the fifteenth century.

The silk support is mounted with standard tabby weave, visible in areas of slight undulation along the edges, and the pigments show stable adhesion with no visible flaking or abrasion in the available documentation.

History & Provenance

The hanging scroll painting titled Rakan was created by the artist Keinin Sumiyoshi in the year 1449. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work depicts a man and is classified within the religious genre. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States.

While the specific commission details and earlier ownership history are not detailed in the available records, the work originated in Japan during the mid-fifteenth century.

The hanging scroll titled 羅漢図|Rakan, painted by Keinin Sumiyoshi in 1449, is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is catalogued as a religious painting depicting a man and is classified among paintings in the museum's holdings. No inventory or accession number is disclosed in the available documentation, and the sources do not record any exhibition history for the piece. Its creation is linked to Japan, where it was originally produced.

Overview

Rakan, a hanging scroll painted in 1449 by the Japanese artist Keinin Sumiyoshi, presents a solitary monk seated upon a rock. Executed in ink and color on silk, the work measures a modest size typical of devotional scrolls and features a muted palette of pale green, brown and subtle red accents.

Subject & Meaning

The figure represents a rakan, an enlightened disciple of the Buddha, captured in a moment of quiet instruction. One hand is raised as if imparting a teaching, while the other grasps a staff, suggesting both authority and spiritual support. The calm expression, bordering on a faint smile, conveys a serene, contemplative presence.