Artwork
Bodhisattva Samantabhadra purifies the path to enlightenment, with Manjushri, folio 348 (verso) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Bodhisattva Samantabhadra purifies the path to enlightenment, with Manjushri, folio 348 (verso) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1100 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painting, a folio from a Gandavyuha-sutra, illustrates a Buddhist narrative centered on Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Manjushri.
About this work
Overview
This painting, a folio from a Gandavyuha-sutra, illustrates a Buddhist narrative centered on Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Manjushri.
This painting, a folio from a Gandavyuha-sutra, illustrates a Buddhist narrative centered on Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra and Manjushri. It features three distinct scenes arranged side-by-side, each integrating painted figures with surrounding script. The artwork, despite its age, retains vibrant traces of its original palette, offering insight into devotional manuscript illumination and the visual interpretation of sacred texts.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork depicts a segment of the Gandavyuha-sutra, a significant Buddhist scripture. The title indicates the presence of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, associated with purifying the path to enlightenment, and Manjushri. The three visual panels likely narrate stages or aspects of this spiritual journey, possibly featuring the kneeling man and horse as part of a seeker's quest within the sutra's broader narrative.
Technique & Style
The painting employs a tripartite composition, presenting three discrete scenes horizontally. Figures, including a seated individual in red, a standing figure in blue-green, and a man with a horse, are rendered with faded yet discernible reds, blues, and golds. An ancient script encircles each image, functioning as both a textual border and an integral part of the visual design, despite the surface showing wear and cracking.
Context
This painting served as folio 348 (verso) within a larger Gandavyuha-sutra, also known as the Scripture of the Supreme Array. Its inclusion within such a religious manuscript suggests its role in conveying sacred narratives and teachings through visual means, complementing the written word. The integration of text and image was fundamental to the devotional and instructional purpose of these illuminated scriptures.
Artist & collection
Sudhana and the rishi Bhishmottaranirgosha, folio 94 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Folio 348 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Bodhisattva Manjushri with two forms of Avalokiteshvara (recto); Bodhisattva Samantabhadra purifies the path to enlightenment, with Manjushri (verso)
Folio 73 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and an antelope (recto); text (verso)
Folio 20 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and a parrot (recto); Text (verso)
Folio 94 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and the rishi Bhishmottaranirgosha (recto); text (verso)
Bodhisattva Manjushri with two forms of Avalokiteshvara, folio 348 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Folio 22 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Samantabhadra spinning clouds of things (recto); Text (verso)
Samantabhadra spinning clouds of things, folio 22 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Sudhana and an antelope, folio 73 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Sudhana and a parrot, folio 20 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Sudhana and a pair of antelopes, folio 37 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Sudhana and a buffalo, folio 115 (recto) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Folio 115 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and a buffalo (recto); text (verso)
Folio 37 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and a pair of antelopes (recto); text (verso)