Artwork

Folio 73 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and an antelope (recto); text (verso)

Folio 73 from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array): Sudhana and an antelope (recto); text (verso) is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1104 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

A painted scene on a wooden strip depicts a figure in a blue robe beside a red deer with a white face and antlers, accompanied by densely arranged text on the same wood.

Subject & Meaning

The image likely illustrates a narrative from a religious text, possibly the Gandavyuha-sutra, with the figure and deer representing characters from the scripture.

Technique & Style

The painting is executed on a long, narrow wooden strip, with the image and text carved or written in a neat, dense arrangement, featuring faded colors with warm brown and soft red tones.