Hanging Painting of Geumtapsa Temple

A hanging banner painting is displayed outdoors at a Buddhist temple on special occasions such as the Buddha's birthday, outdoor rites, and the funerals of eminent monks. The hanging painting of Geumtapsa Temple was made in 1778 by 13 monk artisans including Bihyeon and Kwaeyun, considered the greatest Buddhist artists of the time. It depicts a seated triad consisting of Sakyamuni (Historical Buddha) in the center and flanked by equally large depictions of Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) and Amitabha (Buddha of Western Paradise). The depictions of all three Buddhas show characteristic features of late 18th- century Buddhist paintings, such as the delicate facial features, angular shoulders, and petal-shaped decorations around the ankles. The smaller figures placed around each Buddha include attendant bodhisattvas, the Buddha's two principal disciples Maha Kasyapa and Ananda, and devas. Overall, the painting is characterized by the unusual choice of horizontal orientation and the simplicity of its composition.

The wooden chest used to store this hanging painting is kept in the temple's Geungnakjeon Hall. The chest was made in 1697, about 100 years before the production of the painting. Notably, Geungnakjeon Hall has an opening in one of its walls made specifically for moving the chest in and out of the building. It is equipped with three cylindrical rollers which allow for easy handling. It is the only extant example of such device demonstrating how hanging paintings were moved around during the late period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

Source: Korea Heritage Service signboard ↗ · collected 2026-10-08