Collaborative Painting of Sixteen Arhats
For this collaboration, sixteen artists depicted one each of the Sixteen Arhats (Japanese: Jūroku Rakan), a group of Buddhist saints who reject all worldly passions and exist in various realms of the Buddhist world in order to promulgate the so-called Just Law—the true teachings of the Buddha, which are inherently prone to degeneration over time.
The sixteen artists were all key players in painting circles in the city of Kyoto in the 1880s. They include major figues like Mori Kansai, who, after the death of the leading painter Shiokawa Bunrin (1808–1877), stood at the center of Kyoto painting circles as the head of the Kyoto painting group Jounsha, many of whose members can also be found among the collaborators. The late Bunrin’s own son, Ichidō, painted the partially hidden figure in profile at middle left. Another particularly important collaborator on this work, and along with Mori Kansai the oldest of the group, is Tanomura Chokunyū. Chokunyū was a leading figure of the literati painting movement, which is also well represented in this work. A number of the painters are associated with the naturalistic painting style of the Shijō School. Nearly all the painters whose names and pictures appear on this work were at one time or another after its founding in 1880 affiliated with the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting (Kyōto-fu Ga-gakkō), Japan’s first ever art educational institution. In addition to one of its founders, Kōno Bairei, well over half of the artist’s represented in this work are known to have taught at the school in the 1880s.
The sixteen artists were all key players in painting circles in the city of Kyoto in the 1880s. They include major figues like Mori Kansai, who, after the death of the leading painter Shiokawa Bunrin (1808–1877), stood at the center of Kyoto painting circles as the head of the Kyoto painting group Jounsha, many of whose members can also be found among the collaborators. The late Bunrin’s own son, Ichidō, painted the partially hidden figure in profile at middle left. Another particularly important collaborator on this work, and along with Mori Kansai the oldest of the group, is Tanomura Chokunyū. Chokunyū was a leading figure of the literati painting movement, which is also well represented in this work. A number of the painters are associated with the naturalistic painting style of the Shijō School. Nearly all the painters whose names and pictures appear on this work were at one time or another after its founding in 1880 affiliated with the Kyoto Prefectural School of Painting (Kyōto-fu Ga-gakkō), Japan’s first ever art educational institution. In addition to one of its founders, Kōno Bairei, well over half of the artist’s represented in this work are known to have taught at the school in the 1880s.
Artwork Details
- 十六羅漢図合作 (Jūroku rakan zu gassaku)
- Title: Collaborative Painting of Sixteen Arhats
- Artist: Suzuki Hyakunen 鈴木百年 (Japanese, 1825–1891)
- Artist: Amano Hōko 天野方壺 (Japanese, 1828–1894)
- Artist: Tomioka Tessai (Japanese, 1836–1924)
- Artist: Tanomura Chokunyū 田能村直入 (Japanese, 1814–1907)
- Artist: Murata Kōkoku 村田香谷 (Japanese, 1831–1912)
- Artist: Shiokawa Ichidō 塩川一堂 (Japanese, active late 19th–early 20th century)
- Artist: Morikawa Sōbun 森川曾文 (Japanese, 1847–1902)
- Artist: Imao Keinen 今尾景年 (Japanese, 1845–1924)
- Artist: Suzuki Shōnen (Japanese, 1849–1918)
- Artist: Mori Kansai (Japanese, 1814–1894)
- Artist: Asai Hakuzan (Japanese, 1842–1907)
- Artist: Ikeda Unshō 池田雲樵 (Japanese, 1825–1886)
- Artist: Shige Shuntō 重春塘 (Japanese, 1833–1904)
- Artist: Murase Gyokuden 村瀬玉田 (Japanese, 1852–1917)
- Artist: Yamanaka Shūhan 山中秋帆 (Japanese, 1832–1892)
- Artist: Kōno Bairei (Japanese, 1844–1895)
- Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
- Date: late 1870s–early 1880s
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on satin
- Dimensions: Image: 63 3/4 in. × 26 in. (161.9 × 66 cm)
Overall with mounting: 96 1/2 × 32 3/4 in. (245.1 × 83.2 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of George Crawford, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.92
- 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.
Chōbunsai Eishi
early 19th century
Sakai Ōho
ca. 1839
Unidentified artist
early 19th century
Utagawa Hiroshige
1857
Katsushika Hokusai
ca. 1830–32
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.