Heungguksa Suwolgwaneumdo

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1332

Category

Painting

Era

조선 경종 3년(1723)

Designated year

2002

Location

여수시, 전라남도— 전라남도 여수시 흥국사길 160(중흥동, 흥국사)

Coordinates

34.821004, 127.700222

As a bodhisattva symbolizing benevolence, Avalokitesvara appears before people in diverse shapes and leads them from suffering to happiness. This painting of Water-Moon Avalokitesvara depicts the Pure Land where he lives. This piece portrays Avalokitesvara with a round body mandorla filling the center of the canvas. Sudhanakumara stands with his hands clasped and his back bent slightly forward next to Avalokitesvara. Water waves are depicted at the bottom, with green bamboo, willow, and vase at his sides. The piece is a typical one among the paintings of Avalokitesvara made during the Joseon Period. Despite some parts that give an impression of stereotypicality, the piece makes one feel warm and buoyed with the combination of red, green, and blue colors and the stable composition. It is also characterized by neat, well-proportionate facial features and picturesque techniques used to portray the rock surfaces. It was painted by Monk Uigyeom, regarded as the best monk artist of the 18th Century. It is a work that represents the later Joseon Period (1392-1910) with well-knit composition, exquisite brush strokes, and harmonious colors, despite some damages rendered to the bottom of the canvas.

Location