Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1449 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is classified within the genre of Buddhist art and visually depicts a Bodhisattva seated upon a lotus.
Created in 1449 by an anonymous artist, this religious painting utilizes ink applied on a silk support. The work is classified within the genre of Buddhist art and visually depicts a Bodhisattva seated upon a lotus. While specific details regarding the artist's handling of the brush, the current physical condition of the silk, or precise stylistic nuances are not elaborated upon in the available records, the fundamental material composition is established as ink on silk.
The piece serves as a representation of Buddhist iconography through this traditional medium, adhering to the conventions of religious painting from the mid-15th century.
History & Provenance
The unsigned ink-on-silk painting, dated to 1449, portrays a Buddhist Bodhisattva holding a lotus. Attributed to an anonymous artist, the work is classified as a religious painting and has been part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection since at least its recorded inception. No earlier ownership or commission records are documented in the available sources; the provenance therefore begins with its entry into the Met’s holdings, where it remains today.
Overview
This untitled Korean painting, created in the 1400s, features a single lotus rendered in ink on a pale silk scroll. The artwork presents a quiet yet powerful image of a flower emerging from dark waters, its stem gently swaying. The artist, whose identity remains unknown, conveyed a sense of serene strength through the delicate depiction of the lotus, inviting contemplation of its symbolic significance.
Subject & Meaning
The lotus flower holds profound symbolic weight, particularly within Buddhist traditions prevalent in Korea during the 15th century. It serves as an emblem of purity, spiritual awakening, and rebirth, as it rises unsullied from muddy waters. This painting likely functioned as a visual aid or contemplation piece, embodying these core tenets and encouraging viewers to reflect on the journey toward enlightenment and renewal.
Artist & collection
- 愛染明王像|Aizen Myōō
般若菩薩曼荼羅図|Mandala of the Bodhisattva Hannya (Prajnaparamita)
Eleven-Headed, Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva of Compassion (Avalokiteshvara)
Aizen Myōō
十二天像(梵天)|One of the Twelve Devas: Bonten
Eleven-Headed, Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva of Compassion (Avalokiteshvara)
Samantabhadra
Shakyamuni with the Sixteen Benevolent Deities
The Secret Five Bodhisattvas (Gohimitsu Bosatsu)
Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin), the Bodhisattva of Compassion
Untitled
Untitled