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DiaporamaThe Sixteen Luohans
Chinese Landscape Painting
1667
46.0 x 599.0 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Shitao, born Zhu Ruoji, a scion of the Ming imperial family, escaped death in his youth by taking refuge in the Buddhist priesthood. In 1662 he became a disciple of the powerful Chan (Zen) master Lü’an Benyue (d. 1676). In the late 1660s and 1670s, while living in seclusion in temples around Xuancheng, Anhui Province, he taught himself to paint. In The Sixteen Luohans, Shitao’s earliest major extant work, the young painter, then twenty-five, drew what are possibly the most effective figures since the Yuan period (1279–1368). A rare religious subject for Shitao, known for his visionary landscapes, the scroll depicts the sixteen guardian luohans (saints) ordered by the Buddha to live in the mountains and protect the Buddhist law until the coming of the future Buddha. Stylistically, the immediate sources for Shitao’s figures were late Ming painters, such as Ding Yunpeng (1547–ca. 1621) and Wu Bin (act. ca. 1583–1626). Unlike Wu Bin’s luohans, which seem to be merely grotesque caricatures, Shitao’s are carefully observed, showing such thoroughly human qualities as humor and curiosity.
Shitao (? – ?)
A leading figure of the Individualist School of Chinese painting, Shitao masterfully blended calligraphy and landscape in works like 'Landscapes After Bada Shanren,' offering a unique vision that continues to inspire—discover his profound artistic world.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (new york, United States of America)
Explore The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 5,000 years of art from around the world! Discover masterpieces, ancient artifacts & immersive exhibitions – a global art destination awaits.
About this artwork
- Title: The Sixteen Luohans
- Artist: Shitao
- Year: 1667
- Original dimensions: 46.0 x 599.0 cm
- Format: Landscape
- Copyright status: Under copyright
- Where to see it: Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Movement: Chinese Landscape Painting
- Creative period: Late Period
- Corpus context: shitao's spiritual journey , zen buddhist influence
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