Art Institute of Chicago

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with Assembly

Korea

Date

late 16th/early 17th century

Medium

Ink and color on hemp cloth

Culture

Korea

Department

Arts of Asia

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This painting of Kshitigarbha (Jijang Bosal in Korean,) flanked by the Ten Kings of Hell and guardian deities, reflects the prevalence of faith in Kshitigarbha in Korean Buddhism. Kshitigarbha is the overlord of the Buddhist underworld who has the ability to save sentient beings from hell. Whereas Buddhism enjoyed the royal patronage during the Goryeo period, it became the religion of the masses in the late Joseon period, resulting in stylistic changes in Buddhist painting. Instead of expensive gold or lapis lazuli, red and green became the main palette; more affordable materials such as paper, cotton, or hemp were chosen over silk; and depicted robes show simpler treatment with little to no decoration.

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