Five Hundred Arhats No.227 · The Venerable Lamp of Wisdom | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.227 The Venerable Lamp of Wisdom

'Lamp of wisdom' takes wisdom as a lamp that breaks the darkness of ignorance, brightening self and others, lamp lighting lamp without end; the name marks one who kindles the wisdom-lamp and passes its light on. The venerable has clear features and a lucid expression, possessing the brightness of wisdom as lamp, breaking folly's dark, brightening self and others, keeping the true teaching's bright lamp alight in unbroken succession.

Painted by Li Zongyi in the freehand Chinese ink (xieyi) tradition, the brushwork is fluent and the ink tones layered from dense to pale, capturing the arhat’s spirit in a few assured strokes. The blank paper itself breathes Zen; figure and spirit are one, blending monastic solemnity with the literati’s ease. Each of the Five Hundred Arhats bears its own name and practice, uniting faith, art and collectibility — an original, non-reproducible hand-painted work.

Size: approx. 100×50cm (4.5 square chi) | Traditional hand-painted Chinese ink Zen Buddhist figure painting | On paper