Buseoksa Obulhoe Hanging Buddhist Painting (Gwaebultaeng), Yeongju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1562

Category

Painting

Designated year

2008

Location

영주시, 경상북도— 경북 영주시 부석면 북지리 148 부석사

Coordinates

36.998853, 128.687497

This hanging painting was created in 1745 based on an earlier work of 1684, when it was transferred to Silleuksa Temple in Cheongpung and another Buddha, Rocana, was added to form an iconography of five deities. The composition features Vairocana, Bhaisajyaguru, and Amitabha along a horizontal axis, and Vairocana, Sakyamuni, and Rocana along a vertical axis, thereby embodying faith in the Buddhas of the Three Ages as well as the threefold body of the Buddha, but throwing spotlight on Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, as the principal teacher and preacher on Vulture Peak. Paintings of similar iconography are found at Jurinji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, and Chiljangsa Temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do; the former is dated to the 15th century, and the latter 1628. This type of iconography began to appear in the early Joseon Dynasty and took root in the latter part of the dynasty. The emergence of the iconography of five Buddhas was related with the mergers and abolitions of Buddhist denominations during the Joseon Dynasty. Despite its scale and diversity of figures, the painting shows a solid composition and smooth natural brushwork, especially in the depiction of human figures. The Painting is representative of the refined Buddhist painting style of the 18th century.

Location