Buddha's Conversion of Five Bhiksu
Li Sheng (Chinese, active c. 1324–after 1375)
mid-1300s
- Medium
- handscroll; ink on paper
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- Painting only: 26.7 x 110.5 cm (10 1/2 x 43 1/2 in.)
- Culture
- China, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Chinese Art
- Credit line
- Bequest of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
This episode stems from the life of the historical Buddha, who, after his enlightenment, was initially hesitant about preaching his own doctrine. After much personal deliberation and prodding by deities, he finally relented. The first converts were the five guards who served him when he was still a prince. For Li Sheng, this is the pretext of the painting, which moves from the interaction of the bhiksu with the Buddha to a broader awareness of the vast surroundings of the scene.
