Shakyamuni Buddha.Buddha Shakyamuni Buddha

Monumental Buddha Shakyamuni. Goryeo Dynasty, Korea, 18th century.
Painting on canvas.
Measurements: 225 x 115 cm.
This effigy of Buddha with a Fu lion at his feet, painted on a large canvas was originally conceived to decorate the exterior of a temple in celebrations of special solemnity, as a banner. It is made with "Dancheong" pigments, like those traditionally used in the decoration of Buddhist buildings in Korea, using the five basic colors that have a symbolic meaning. Buddha is represented seated on a high pedestal that magnifies him, in a meditative attitude, adopting the classic lotus posture, with his legs crossed. The figure presents some of the "lakshana", characteristic marks of the sacred personages in the Hindu and Buddhist currents, that allow to identify him. The almond-shaped eyes are framed by delicately arched eyebrows. The hieratic smile, barely hinted at the corners of the lips, as well as the extremely elongated earlobes, also stand out. A mystical mandorla, topped by curly clouds, haloes the character, denoting his divine character, belonging to a plane of existence that transcends the concrete world. In the upper zone a canopy can be seen, a structure that, like the pedestal, indicates the importance of the personage, his divine or sacred character.