Luohan, after a set attributed to Guanxiu
Of the many luohan painters throughout Chinese history, none was more influential than the Buddhist monk Guanxiu (832–912), whose wild caricatures inspired generations of artists to depict luohans as exotic, superhuman beings. Guanxiu’s paintings were already considered rare in 1757, when the Qianlong emperor encountered what he believed to be an authentic set in a monastery in Hangzhou. To preserve their appearance, the emperor commissioned copies and had them carved in stone so that rubbings like these could be made. The original paintings are now lost, making these copies some of the most important surviving evidence of Guanxiu’s style. Wu Bin, whose handscroll is on view nearby, was directly inspired by Guanxiu.
Artwork Details
- 清 丁觀鵬？ 臨貫休十六羅漢圖 (拓片)
- Title: Luohan, after a set attributed to Guanxiu
- Artist: Unidentified artist, possibly Ding Guanpeng (active 1726–71)
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: stone carved in 1757; rubbing 18th or 19th century?
- Culture: China
- Medium: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: Overall with mounting: 54 × 27 5/8 in. (137.2 × 70.2 cm)
- Classification: Rubbing
- Credit Line: Gift of Miss H. C. Wagner, 1959
- Object Number: 59.195.14
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Unidentified
Unidentified
19th century
Unidentified
16th–17th century
Unidentified
ca. 1820–35
Unidentified
ca. 1895
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.