Bodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha Mother

Bodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha Mother

Chen Hongshou

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Esoteric Buddhism, the Buddha is understood as having been born of the Law, which is regarded, therefore, as the Buddha Mother. This image depicts the Esoteric manifestation of Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara, in Sanskrit) as the Buddha Mother, a deity with multiple arms and a third "all-seeing" eye. In Chen Hongshou's interpretation, however, the Buddha Mother does not appear as a formidable incarnation of scripture but as a winsome young woman. Her unruly hairdo and the unconventional gesture of clutching strands of hair in her mouth may derive from heroines of contemporary popular theater rather than Buddhist iconography. This large-scale example of Chen Hongshou's early figure style is a rare complement to the small-scale figures in his early album paintings and woodblock prints. At this enlarged scale, Chen Hongshou's technique and idiosyncratic stylistic sources become readily apparent. His relaxed and fluid drapery lines do not follow the disciplined brush mannerisms of literati models but instead are derived from popular paintings and woodblock prints.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha MotherBodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha MotherBodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha MotherBodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha MotherBodhisattva Guanyin in the Form of the Buddha Mother

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.