Amitayus Buddha

This hanging scroll shows Amitayus Buddha seated in lotus position on a lotus throne, accompanied by a section of text from the popular Heart of Prajnaparamita Sutra.The Buddha image was depicted in ink and colour in a meticulously descriptive style, while the Heart Sutra text was transcribed in gold in regular script.

The painting is signed Ding Guanpeng and Liang Guozhi, and dated the eighth day of the fourth month (26 May), namely the Buddha's birthday, in 1784. Both artists served at the imperial court during the Qianlong reign (1735-1795) and were favoured by the emperor who himself was a devoted Buddhist. On the first and fifteenth day of each month in his later years the emperor would copy out this Sutra. However, the artistic quality of the Buddha image, the style of the calligraphy and the imperial seal all suggest that the work is not genuine.