Shakyamuni triad
According to the gold inscription, this painting was commissioned by Queen Dowager Munjeong (d. 1565) to pray for the health of her son, King Myeongjong (r. 1546–67), and to celebrate the birth of the crown prince and the restoration of Hoeam Temple, a major Seon Buddhist (Chinese: Chan; Japanese: Zen) monastery located near the capital and an influential royal temple of the early Joseon. This piece was part of a set of four hundred paintings, one hundred each (fifty in color and fifty in gold) of triads depicting the Buddha Shakyamuni (Historical), Maitreya (Future), Baisajyaguru (Medicine), and Amitabha (Western Paradise). Only a handful survive. The set demonstrates the importance of Buddhist beliefs, rituals, and artistic patronage even to the ruling royal court during the early Joseon, despite the official state policy of suppressing Buddhism in favor of Neo-Confucianism.
Artwork Details
- 석가삼존도 조선
- 釋迦三尊圖 朝鮮
- Title: Shakyamuni triad
- Artist: Unidentified artist
- Period: Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
- Date: 1565
- Culture: Korea
- Medium: Hanging scroll; color and gold on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 23 13/16 x 12 5/8 in. (60.5 x 32 cm)
Overall with mounting: 60 x 21 1/8 in. (152.4 x 53.7 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.298
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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