Artwork preview

The Sixth Patriarch of Zen at the Moment of Enlightenment

Kano Tan'yū

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a scroll painting with a man sitting cross-legged on the ground. The man has white hair and a beard, and is wearing a black robe with white trim. He sits to the left of a bamboo plant. The background of the painting is a light brown color. There are several lines of black text written vertically at the top left, accompanied by a red seal to the right. A second red seal appears at the bottom right of the painting. The edges of the scroll have a brown patterned border. The scroll is set against a plain white background with a black border on the left and right.

Artwork details

Date:
1635–45
Medium:
Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Culture:
Japan
Dimensions:
165 × 623 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette