Portrait Study of Seigen
Unknown Artist
1300s
Medium
hanging scroll; ink and slight color on paper
Dimensions
107.8 × 53.4 cm · image: 25.5 × 40.9 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1982.55
About this artwork
This is a portrait study of the monk Seigen (1162–1231). The inscription identifies him and notes that the study is after a portrait in the subtemple Jizō’in at Daigoji. The artist included scars from an illness, and made notations about the colors the clothing should be. Seigen was abbot of Daigoji, one of the most influential Esoteric Buddhist temples in Japanese history.