Amitabha Buddha’s assembly in the Western Paradise
This work depicts an assembly of divine figures in the Western Paradise, the realm of the Amitabha Buddha (Korean: Amita). The central deity sits on a lotus flower atop a fabric-covered dais, surrounded by a supporting cast of twelve, including bodhisattvas, disciples, guardians, and attendants. In particular, Avalokiteshvara (Korean: Gwaneum) and Kshitigarbha (Korean: Jijang)—at the Buddha’s left and right, respectively—are often paired as attendant bodhisattvas to Amitabha in Korean Pure Land Buddhist iconography. He touches his right thumb to his right middle finger in a gesture indicative of teaching.
Ink drawings such as this one were adhered to the backs of coarsely woven, semitransparent silks on which the final image was painted (guided by the outlines of the underdrawing). Here, the small areas of the paper where the pigments have seeped through the silk display faint traces of red and green. This piece is a finished drawing rather than a study sketch; few such underdrawings survive as independent works of art. The elegant and dynamic calligraphic quality of the drawing would have been lost in the final painting, as pigments mask and trump lines. The drawing reveals the processes involved in producing a Buddhist painting in Joseon Korea, preserving an important facet of that creative output.
Ink drawings such as this one were adhered to the backs of coarsely woven, semitransparent silks on which the final image was painted (guided by the outlines of the underdrawing). Here, the small areas of the paper where the pigments have seeped through the silk display faint traces of red and green. This piece is a finished drawing rather than a study sketch; few such underdrawings survive as independent works of art. The elegant and dynamic calligraphic quality of the drawing would have been lost in the final painting, as pigments mask and trump lines. The drawing reveals the processes involved in producing a Buddhist painting in Joseon Korea, preserving an important facet of that creative output.
Artwork Details
- 극락에서 설법하는 아미타불 조선
- 阿彌陀極樂會圖 朝鮮
- Title: Amitabha Buddha’s assembly in the Western Paradise
- Artist: Unidentified artist (Korean, ca. 1775–1850)
- Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Date: late 18th–early 19th century
- Culture: Korea
- Medium: Ink and traces of color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 59 1/2 x 59 1/2 in. (151.1 x 151.1 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Louis V. Bell, Mary Trumbull Adams and Harris Brisbane Dick Funds, 2011
- Object Number: 2011.345
- 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 artist
19th century
Unidentified artist
Liu Songnian
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
Unidentified artist
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.