Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 14. (Budapest, 1994)

FAJCSÁK Györgyi: Luo-han-festmények a Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum kínai gyűjteményéből

holding a vase is standing with a lion. Next to him a figure sitting on a banana-leaf with crossed legs is leaning on his books. In the foreground there is another luo-han sitting on his seat of creeping root holding a scroll.

8 Beside him another luo-han sitting on rushmat, is shown with long eye-brows and books placed on a lotus-cup. Both of them are looking at the last scene of the scroll where a standing figure holding an alms-bowl in his raised hand turns fearfully toward the dragon which has appeared suddenly from the dark clouds.

9 The composition of the scroll, the placing of the various groups of the luo-han figures, and the deliberate leading of the viewer through the whole scroll can show us interesting comparisons with the landscape compositions of Chinese handscrolls. Following the surge of the sea and the first slight curve - referring to a range of mountains of medium height - the opening section of the scroll begins at the first group of the luo-han figures. Arriving at the central group placed in parallel lines we realize that these rising lines of force - such as the mountain chains - culminate in the high point of the scroll - in the scene of Pindola depicted with his almsbowl falling down from the clouds. And then the various parallel lines of the picture converge on the last, standing luo-han figure to be annihilated moving away to the density of swirling clouds and sea in the shape of twisting dragon which can remind us of a mountain range fusing with the sky. Chinese painters of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in all likelihood went back to the landscape painting of the Song and Yuan dynasties. They were basically inspired by the theoretical works of Dong Qi-chang (1555-1636), although their affection for landscapes traditions can be explained by distinctive role of the landscape painting in the Chinese pictorial art from the tenth century onwards. Comparisons of scenes, figures as well as various elements of our scroll attributed to Ding Yun-peng can be found - as has been mentioned above - in the contemporary luohan paintings. The handscrolls marshalling sixteen, eighteen or five hundred luo-han figures were also painted using similar elements. It is worth comparing the scroll with some sixteen - or eighteen - figure luo-han paintings dating from the Ming period. The eighteen luo-han figures on the handscroll painted by Wang Wen (1497-1576) are in five different groups and placed against undulating waves.

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" Within each group, figures interact through motion and gesture and they keep continuity among the smaller scenes of the scroll. Wang Wen's luo-han figures are reminiscent of Chinese scholars and his technique (gong-bi) - play of tiny and refined brushstrokes as well as intricate use oi shades of ink - suggest influences from the tradition of the literati (wen-ren) painting. Luo-han figures on the handscroll entitled Sixteen Luo-hans painted in 1591 by Wu Bin" (fl. 1591-1626) are emphasized by theii peculiar features and bizarre distortions showing différencies from the terrestial world. The grotesque postures, eccentric facial expressions as well as shining colours on the scroll are typical. His figures borrowed from the theatrical world are placed against a blank background and are depicted in various postures. Many of the faces are either bizarrel) elongated or squashed down. Figures were drawn with strong outlines to stress the importance of abundant folds of the garments to indicate liveliness. He depended heavil) on the luo-han figures painted by Guan-xiu however, he was able to establish his owr pictorial style characterized by his typica technique of using flexible parallel lines as well as by his application of lively, brigh colours. Through the figures of Ding Yun-peng

1 the tradition of literati painting became mixec with the figure painting following the styh of Guan-xiu. The various elements dérivée from both styles are finely combined in shap ing figures, in the use of colour as well as ir the artist's brushwork-technique.

13 The luo-han representations of the hand