Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 CE) with a Buddhist Masterc. 1300s · Study 1985.186

Context from the museum

Nagarjuna, the Buddhist philosopher from southern India, sits on his eponymous red and black serpents, or naga . His interlocutor may be his disciple Aryadeva. A volume of the Perfection of Wisdom , honored with flowers, is on a golden bookstand between their heads. The figures sit beneath flowering and fruiting trees with peacocks and parrots, evoking the landscape of India. Lineage masters of the Sakya order of Buddhism are aligned in the top row, beginning with Virupa at the upper right. The monk who was the donor of this painting is in the lower left corner.

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

A detail to notice

The Bodhisattva of Wisdom, who was Nagarjuna's teacher, is in the central 8-armed figure in the bottom row.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 CE) with a Buddhist Master is 45.1 cm wide and 57.8 cm high, equivalent to approximately 17.8 × 22.8 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.78:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.26 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 15.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 127.5 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 Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 CE) with a Buddhist Master in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, gum tempera on sized cotton, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 45.1 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?