Artwork
Water-Moon Kannon (Suigetsu Kannon)
Water-Moon Kannon (Suigetsu Kannon) is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work titled *Water‑Moon Kannon* depicts a seated figure on a rock beneath a stormy sky, illuminated by a soft golden halo that suggests a moonlit presence. The figure is garbed in flowing robes, a head covering, and holds a long staff, while a small hybrid creature with a dragon’s tail and human face stands nearby in the water.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure represents Kannon, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, portrayed in a meditative pose that conveys mercy and protection. The accompanying creature, a mythic hybrid, reinforces the painting’s spiritual symbolism, linking earthly beings with divine guardianship.
Technique & Style
The composition employs chiaroscuro, contrasting the luminous golden aura behind the figure with the surrounding dark, cloud‑filled sky. This interplay of light and shadow creates a dramatic focus on the deity, while the delicate rendering of the creature and water adds subtle detail.
History & Provenance
The painting is identified as a traditional Buddhist devotional image, though specific dates, artists, or collection history are not provided in the source material.
Context
Works featuring Kannon often serve as visual prayers for compassion, and the moon‑like illumination aligns with Buddhist iconography that associates light with enlightenment and protective presence.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
