Buddhist Painting of Seongjusa Temple, Changwon (The King of Sweet Dew)

This Buddhist painting depicts the scene of people suffering in hell being rescued through the teachings of the Buddha, which are compared to a “sweet dew.” The painting was made in 1729 under the supervision of the painter monk Seongjing. It was originally enshrined in Daeungjeon Hall, but was moved to Jijangjeon Hall in 2009.

The composition of this particular painting is different from the other depictions of the King of Sweet Dew in the late period of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). An altar with food and other offerings, which is usually depicted in the middle of the canvas, was substituted with a figure of an evil spirit. To the right of it is a smaller evil spirit on a tree and a depiction of a sea battle. At the top of the painting are seven buddhas and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva wearing a white robe and in the top right corner is a beautiful worship hall that symbolizes the Western Paradise.

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