Seated Manjusri

About this work

You see a bright, gold-robed figure sitting cross-legged on a cloud. His right hand holds a sword, his left a book. A small lion peeks out from behind him. This painting once hung behind a Buddha statue in a Korean temple. It’s big—meant to fill a wall. The artist used thin, careful lines to show folds in the robe and the lion’s fur. No shadows, just flat color, so the gold stands out even more. Look up more works from korea, joseon dynasty (1392–1910) to see how they painted gods and temples.