Buddhist Painting of Beobinsa Temple, Hamyang (The King of Sweet Dew)

The King of Sweet Dew (Gamnowangdo) is a motif of Buddhist paintings created to be used when performing a ceremony to rescue the souls suffering in hell and guide the dead to the rebirth in the Western Paradise. Sweet Dew refers to the teachings of Buddha, which embody eternal life, and to the enlightenment attained through this teaching.

This painting was made in 1726 at Geumdaeam Hermitage by the painter-monks Chaein, Ilmin, and Taehyeon. Although the painting is currently enshrined in Geungnakbojeon Hall of Beobinsa Temple, it was originally intended to beplaced in Anguksa Temple in Macheon-myeon Township.

At the very top of the painting are the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity. They are flanked by the Bodhisattva of Guiding Souls to the left and Avalokitesvara (Bodhisattva of Great Compassion) and Ksitigarbha (Bodhisattva of Great Vows) to the right. The middle section of the painting depicts Buddhist monks performing a worship ceremony in front of an altar, as well as the people participating in the ceremony. A hungry ghost stands in front of the altar. At the bottom of the painting are scenes of various types of human death such as wildfire, tiger attack, and flood.

The painting can becharacterized by its well-organized composition, detailed brushwork that creates realistic and dynamic figures, and soft color palette. It is one of the earliest extant paintings of its kind in Korea and a good example of the King of Sweet Dew motif during the early 18th century.

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