Buddhist culture flourished in the Joseon Dynasty at the hands of ordained monastics. Statues and paintings of Buddha were created by monks to facilitate the transmission of the Buddha Dharma to sentient beings and to transform the halls of the Buddhist temple into the Buddha Land. Through constant exploration and countless hours of practice, they elevated the sacred treasures to a state of art. The efforts of the painter monks, who used art as a vehicle for religious propagation and spiritual practice, continue to this day.

One of these painter monks was Uigyeom, who began his career in 1713 at Borimsa Temple in Jangheung by assisting Vens. Bonggak and Gwanggu, who were active in Jeolla and Gyeongsangnam-do provinces, to learn the basics of Buddhist painting art. In the 1720s, he established his own style by leading Buddhist painting projects as a master painter. Beginning with the creation of the Hanging Painting of Cheonggoksa Temple in Jinju (Vulture Peak Assembly) in 1722, he served as a master painter at Heungguksa Temple in Yeosu, Songgwangsa Temple in Suncheon, Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, and Unheungsa Temple in Goseong for more than 40 years until 1757.

Buddhist Painting of Haeinsa Temple (The Vulture Peak Assembly)

Joseon Dynasty 1792 

293.5 cm x 241.9 cm 

National Treasure 

Created by Ven. Uigyeom, the Assembly on Vulture Peak emphasizes Shakyamuni Buddha in the center, while the bodhisattvas and heavenly beings are arranged in dignified rows at the bottom of the canvas. From the bottom to the top, the figures are drawn smaller to create a sense of ascension. The face and body of the main Buddha are painted in gold, and the outermost robe is red printed with golden circles and floral patterns, with its edges decorated with auspicious symbols, and the lining of the robe is adorned with smaller floral patterns, making it delicate, magnificent, and colorful. The images of bodhisattvas and arhats are also exquisitely rendered, with delicate gold patterns on vividly colored surfaces. A single bead of glittering sarira at the top of the rounded topknot of the main Buddha is a creative idea of Uigyeom.