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Five Hundred Luohans

CC0 Public Domain Designation

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Date:

Late Ming or early Qing dynasty, 17th century

Artist:

Artist unknown

About this artwork

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

On View, Gallery 134

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

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

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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