Goryeo Buddhist paintings

Goryeo Buddhist paintings and architecture are prominent Korean art forms that are said to have originated in the 13 and 14th centuries. Known for their intricate depiction of Buddhist icons typically in the form of large hanging scrolls, artists made use of vibrant colors and adorned the patterns with gold. As Buddhism flourished as the official religion of the Goryeo Dynasty, various Buddhist artworks were produced under royal patronage and utilized for the purposes of state-sponsored ceremonies and funerary rituals. These paintings reflect not only the beliefs, but the taste and refine of the Goryeo royalty and nobility. Illustrations and decorative architectural styles often reflected the messages of Pure Land Buddhism or Amidism featuring Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; for instance, Avalokiteśvara, amongst others, were worshipped by their devotees to achieve the goal of rebirth in the ‘Pure Land’ or paradise.

As one of the consequences of years of war, the majority of the paintings are no longer found in Korea. The tradition of Goryeo paintings was forgotten for a very long time and regained significance in the recent decades when scholars started studying the techniques and attributes that are commonly seen in these artworks. Currently, numerous of these paintings are preserved by Japanese collectors, who attained them either through trade or as a result of the Japanese colonial period from 1910-1945.^[1] To this day, scholars have been successful in identifying only less than 160 paintings throughout the world.^[2]