清 佚名 倣石濤 十六羅漢圖 卷|(Copy after) The Sixteen Luohans

Art Historical Context

This handscroll, created by an anonymous artist in the late Qing dynasty, offers a reverent reinterpretation of Shitao’s (Zhu Ruoji, 1642–1707) celebrated depiction of the Sixteen Luohans. Shitao, a former Buddhist monk and leading individualist painter, infused his works with expressive brushwork and spiritual depth. Though dated to the 19th–early 20th century, the painting captures the essence of Shitao’s dynamic ink techniques—fluid lines and varying washes—that bring the enlightened arhats to life as they meditate, converse, and traverse ethereal landscapes. Luohans, revered in Buddhism a...