A Lohan [after Kuan-hsiu]
1598-1652
![A Lohan [after Kuan-hsiu] by Chen Hongshou, 1598-1652](https://www.thequadro.com/api/storage/artworks/thumb/l/chen-hongshou/chen-hongshou_a-lohan-after-kuan-hsiu_c1380b82)
Chen Hongshou, a master of the late Ming dynasty, pays homage here to the Tang dynasty monk-painter Guanxiu, who was famous for depicting Luohans (Buddhist saints) with exaggerated, 'foreign' features. Notice the figure's massive forehead, jutting jaw, and elongated earlobes—classic signs of wisdom and spiritual power. He sits beneath a gnarled, flowering tree, clutching a wooden staff, his robes cascading in rhythmic, almost architectural folds that look more like carved stone than fabric. This piece is a perfect example of Chen's eccentric 'archaic' style, where he deliberately rejected the smooth, realistic trends of his time in favor of something weirder and more ancient.
- Technique
- Ink and color on silk
- Material
- Silk