Five Hundred Luohans

CC0 Public Domain Designation

Arts of Asia

Late Ming or early Qing dynasty, 17th century

Artist unknown

Within Buddhism, a luohan is an enlightened being that typically possesses fantastical powers. The many luohans in this work are accompanied by both real and imaginary creatures as they clamber over inverted hills, float above clouds, and glide across swirling waters, occasionally pausing to meditate in a bamboo grove. Their profusion suggests that these sages are intended to depict the Daoism-inspired legend “Five Hundred Luohans Crossing the Sea,” which describes a multitude traveling to an immortal realm.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of Asia

Title: Five Hundred Luohans
Place: China (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1601–1700
Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 39.4 × 315 cm (15 1/2 × 124 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Chauncey McCormick
Reference Number: 1943.1149
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/49017/manifest.json

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.