Arhat1235 · Study 1979.71

Context from the museum

An arhat (Nahan in Korean), an advanced disciple of the Buddha, is represented here in profile with a halo encircling his head. This particular arhat is Segongyang jonja, numbered as the 464th of 500 arhats. He sits on a woven bamboo stool, is luring a dragon into an alms bowl. This hanging scroll is one of only about ten known works that survive today, all of which (except for Cleveland’s piece) are currently preserved in Korea or Japan.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

This painting that depicts an arhat , a human being who has achieved enlightenment, used to be part of a set of 500 hanging scrolls.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Arhat is 40.6 cm wide and 52.7 cm high, equivalent to approximately 16.0 × 20.7 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.77:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.21 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 13.5% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 129.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Arhat in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Hanging scroll; ink and slight color on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 40.6 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?