Bodhidharma in Red Robes

Bodhidharma in Red Robes

Kano Masanobu 狩野正信

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This picture of Bodhidharma, the fifth-century Indian monk credited with transmitting Zen Buddhist teachings to China, was likely used in ritual services at a Zen monastery. Its efficacy pivots on its ability to convey the monk’s essential message of self-reflection in the pursuit of awakening—“Look inward to become a buddha”—through the gaze of the patriarch. The artist used a series of bold, layered lines in combination with washes of vermilion to render Bodhidharma’s characteristically red robes and guide the viewer’s eye to the center of the picture. There the Zen master meets the adherent with a penetrating look, calling to mind the nine years he is said to have sat in meditation, staring at the wall of a cave.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.