4. Avalokiteshvara, One of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas

4. Avalokiteshvara, One of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas

Eastern Tibet, 18th century; pigment on cloth with silk mount; 39 3/8 x 20 3/4 x 1/2 in.; The Rubin Museum of Art, New York, C2008.9.

Belonging to a set of paintings depicting the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, this work is rendered in a Chinese-inspired style called gyalug in Tibetan. The blue and green shaded outcropping derives from Chinese landscape painting and reveals the otherworldly nature of the realm. The Tibetan artist shows Amitabha, the spiritual father of Avalokiteshvara, sitting on the lotus that the bodhisattva holds, instead of the more customary presentation as an icon within Avalokiteshvara’s crown. The ruby red color identifies this Buddha as Amitabha. Avalokiteshvara’s halo is also tinted red, as the two figures look at each other in serene meditation and spiritual connection. LL

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Shadakshari Triad and Other Deities

Shadakshari Triad and Other Deities

Tibet, early 12th century; pigment on cotton; 34 x 29 3/8 in.; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Promised gift of John and Berthe Ford, F.120.

Autumn Landscape in Blue–and–Green Style

Autumn Landscape in Blue–and–Green Style

China, style of Chang Sem-yu, 17th century; ink and color on silk mounted on paper; 88 1/8 x 40 7/8 in.; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, 35.3.