The Sixteen Luohans

The Sixteen Luohans

Chen Xian

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chen Xian was a Buddhist monk who painted mostly religious figures. In the chaos that accompanied the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, many Buddhist monks left China for Japan, and some brought paintings by Chen, which found favor. For this reason, he is better known in Japan than in his native country. This album is not as accomplished as his best works—the shading of the faces is somewhat muddy—so it is likely a close copy, possibly by a Japanese admirer.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Sixteen LuohansThe Sixteen LuohansThe Sixteen LuohansThe Sixteen LuohansThe Sixteen Luohans

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.