This artwork, title "Buddha," was created by Jin Nong (1687–1763). Jin Nong was born in Hangzhou in the twenty-sixth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty and eventually moved to and settled in Yangzhou following the death of his wife, where he ultimately passed away in the twenty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign.
A man of many talents, Jin Nong initially established himself as a poet and became renowned for poetry in the Jiangnan district. His literary talent was recognised by masters such as Mao Qiling and Zhu Yizun, and he later studied under the renowned scholar He Zhuo. Jin Nong was also an accomplished calligrapher. His calligraphic styles were rooted in the clerical script, but he developed them into distinctive forms, the most famous of which became known as the "lacquer script." This style was characterised by a pure and incisive quality and reflected his highly individual artistic approach.
It was only in his fifties that he began to paint seriously. His paintings were characterised by classical elegance and a deliberate departure from established conventions. This gained him a place among the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou" and made him the most famous among them. Jin Nong painted a variety of subjects, including bamboo, plum blossoms, horses, Buddha figures, landscapes, and flowers. Many of his paintings also incorporated long inscriptions, reflecting his deep literary cultivation and bringing together his talents as a painter, poet, and calligrapher.
At the age of fifty, he was recommended for the prestigious Boxue Hongci imperial examination but was not selected, and he continued to live the rest of his life as a commoner making a living by selling his paintings. His works continued to reflect his literary depth, creativity, and unconventional artistic spirit influencing future artists like Zhao Zhiqian, Wu Changshuo, and Qi Baishi.
In this artwork rendered with simple brushstrokes and a light wash of refreshing colours, the Buddha is depicted wearing saffron-coloured robes and is seated beneath a tree, with his eyes closed, as though immersed in meditation. His bearded face and closely-shaven hair gives the Buddha an unusual appearance when compared with more familiar representations. The calligraphic inscription on the upper right section of the artwork adds another dimension to the composition. The work is signed by the artists and also bears the seals of three collectors including those of Tu Zhuo (1781–1828) and Pan Shengan (19th–20th century). The simple and unconventional representation of the Buddha in this composition creates an image that is both contemplative and highly individual, reflecting the unconventional artistic character for which Jin Nong became renowned.
This 1760 hanging scroll is Jin Nong’s Buddha in the Forest of No Worries. Painted during the Qianlong period when the artist was 74 years old, it depicts the Buddha meditating beneath a lush Asoka tree. Jin Nong deliberately rejects standard religious iconometry; instead of a divine deity, the Buddha is portrayed as a solitary, ageing monk who mirrors the artist's own late-life spiritual reclusion. The upper right contains a long inscription written in his famous, flat-brushed "lacquer script". Through muted earthy tones and archaic lines, the composition masterfully captures a profound sense of inner peace and worldly isolation.
