Jikjisa Hanging Buddhist Painting, Gimcheon

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2026

Category

Painting

Era

1803년(순조 3)

Designated year

2019

Location

김천시, 경상북도— 경상북도 김천시 직지사길 95 (대항면)

Coordinates

36.118500, 128.117400Museum-based location

The Hanging Painting of Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon created in 1803 is the largest and the oldest of the Buddhist hanging paintings made in the 19th century and remaining in Korea. In the painting, the Buddha is portrayed facing the viewer without his attendants and in the form of a bodhisattva wearing a bejeweled crown and holding a lotus spray with both hands. The postscript written on the lower part reveals that the painting was produced by a group of 13 monk-artists, including Wijeon, Tanjam, Bucheom, Sinhwa as well as Jehan who was based in Jikjisa Temple and active in and around the Gyeongsangbuk-do. The characteristic features such as the ten Buddhas of ten directions arranged together with five bodhisattvas on both sides of the halo around the Buddha’s head, comparatively slender body, and the use of boldly thick lines show that the painting was produced in a period of transition from the 18th to the 19th century. The contrast between red and green creates a somewhat stern atmosphere while the shading technique is extended to the principal Buddha, reflecting the artistic development achieved until the period. It is comparatively a large work, 12 meters in height, but the details such as the arrangement of the icons, and the use of colors and lines show that it is a fine representation of the Korean Buddhist paintings of its kind developed in the 19th century.

Location