Artwork
元 佚名 第六羅漢跋陀羅圖 軸|Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan
元 佚名 第六羅漢跋陀羅圖 軸|Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan is an ink painting. It dates from 1345 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This painting, titled Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan, is an anonymous work from 1345, created during China's Yuan Dynasty.
About this work
This painting shows a man, Bhadra, surrounded by tigers. He's sitting calmly, despite the fierce animals. The artist used simple lines and colors to create this scene.
The painting is interesting because it's very old, from 1345. It's a hanging scroll made of silk, which was a common material back then. To learn more, look up The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts the Sixth Luohan, named Bhadra, portrayed as a man accompanied by a tiger.
The work depicts the Sixth Luohan, named Bhadra, portrayed as a man accompanied by a tiger. This pairing serves as the primary iconographic element, identifying the specific arhat within the traditional series of sixteen or eighteen enlightened disciples. The inclusion of the tiger is a standard attribute for Bhadra in East Asian Buddhist art, symbolizing his spiritual mastery over wild forces and his role as a protector who has tamed the animalistic mind.
As a religious hanging scroll created in 1345, the painting functions as a devotional object intended to visualize the presence and serene power of this specific enlightened figure.
Technique & Style
Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan is executed as a hanging scroll in ink and color on silk, a format and medium combination characteristic of Yuan-dynasty Buddhist devotional painting. The work was produced in China in 1345 and is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition depicts a man together with a tiger, the latter a conventional Luohan iconographic attribute.
Beyond the medium and support, the available records do not specify handling methods, current condition, brush technique, or stylistic features in further detail.
History & Provenance
The work titled Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan is a hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk, dated to 1345. It belongs to the religious genre and depicts a man and a tiger. The piece was created in China by an anonymous painter, likely during the Yuan period, and entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is presently displayed. No earlier owners or commissioning records are known.
The painting Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan, dated to 1345, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, created by an unknown artist, depicts a man and a tiger on a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk. While the museum currently houses the piece, the provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number, nor do they list any exhibition history for this specific artwork.
Overview
This painting, titled Bhadra, The Sixth Luohan, is an anonymous work from 1345, created during China's Yuan Dynasty. Executed with ink and color on silk as a hanging scroll, it depicts Bhadra, one of the revered luohans, seated serenely amidst a group of tigers. The artwork captures a moment of profound tranquility, contrasting the saint's composed presence with the untamed nature of the surrounding wild animals.
Artist & collection
