Horyuji Fresco : Wall Paintings

by Reiji Yamashina , (SERVER MOVED 2010, NOV, 3) Updated 2011, August, 5th.
Updating in 2019 autumn-- 2010 spring to celebrating the exhibition in Tokyo National Museum.

Most Fresco Secco wall paintings in Horyuji monastery Golden-Hall were scorched by fire in 1949. Before the desaster, many photographs had been taken, but colour plates are rare, because three negative-plates were needed for one color photo before KODAK invention of colour negative film.

M. Sullivan ,The Arts of China,1973, Berkeley :
These paintings, after miraculously surviving for twelve centuries, were almost totally destroyed by fire in 1949, a disaster to the art of the world as great as if the frescos of Sistine Chapel or those in the cave-temples of Ajanta had perished

Regrettfully, few fine images of Horyuji fresco has been found in INTERNET, so I dare make them dedicating to lost beuties.
I make images of the paintings from over 50 years color plates (Copyright Free) of original fresco.

The technique is FRESCO SECCO following the terminology G. Vasari described in his TECHNIQUE.

Many scholars regard the date late 7th century, when Horyuji was rebuilt after ACE670 Fire Disaster. The artist/ artists is unkown. Some koreans claimed that Tamjing of Koguryo should be the artist, but it isn't correct.
The reasons:

  1. The style doesn't like Kogryo Mural painting style, but likes many reliefs(late 7th century ) in Sian(Tang Dynasty Capitol, China).
  2. He should be over 90 years old in the late 7th century, because he had been dedicated as a technologist by Kogryo King to Japan in ACE610.

Please CLICK images to show large images.


No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise　Whole *1
No.1 wall, Shakyamuni Buddha Paradise, 　Whole *1

No.10 wall, Bhaisajyaguruvaidurya-tathagata paradise, Whole *1
No.9 wall, Maytolaya-Buddha paradise, Whole*1

No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, left detail, Mahasthamaprapta　
No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, center detail, Amitabha Buddha
No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, left detail, Avalokitesvara

No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, left detail, Mahasthamaprapta
No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, center, Amitabha Buddha, bust detail
No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, left detail, Avalokitesvara

No.10 wall, Bhaisajyaguruvaidurya-tathagata paradise, upper left detail
No.10 wall, Bhaisajyaguruvaidurya-tathagata paradise, upper right detail
No.10 wall, Bhaisajyaguruvaidurya-tathagata paradise, Bodhisatva head

No.10 wall, Bhaisajyaguruvaidurya-tathagata paradise, bottom left detail.
No.10 wall, Bhaisajyaguruvaidurya-tathagata paradise, Bodhisatva and Guardian,
No.2 wall, Bodhisatva, whole.

No.2 wall, Bodhisatva, center detail.
No.2 wall, Bodhisatva, bottom half, thorne detail
No.2 wall, Bodhisatva, Head

No.11 wall, Samantabhadra, center detail
No.11 wall, Samantabhadra, whole
No.3 wall, Avalokitesvara, center

No.3 wall, Avalokitesvara, whole
No.1 wall, Shakyamuni Buddha Paradise, center left detail
No.9 wall, Maytolaya-Buddha paradise, upper right detail

No.7 wall, Bodhisatva, whole
No.4 wall, Bodhisatva, center detail
No.4 wall, Bodhisatva, whole

No. 8 wall, Manjyushuli, center detail
No. 8 wall, Manjyushuli, whole
No.12 wall whole , Avalokitesvara.

No.5 wall, Bodhisatva, whole　
No.5 wall, Bodhisatva, center detail　
Outer section small wall, Arhat

No. 8 wall, Manjyushuli, head。
No.6 wall, Amitabha Buddha Pradise, upper left detail
Aprasas　No.14 (survived after fire) *1

References

  1. BENRIDO, Wall Paintings of the Horyuji Monastery,1951, KYOTO
  2. T. Harumatsu, Horyu-ji frescos, 1947/1, Osaka
  3. Ichimatsu. TANAKA, WAll-PAINTINGS OF HORYUJI-TEMPLE, 1958/3, Tokyo
  4. THE INSTITUTE OF ART RESEARCH,THE BIJYUTU KENKYU, NO.167, 1952/1, Tokyo
  5. Newslettr of National Museum, 1949/Feb.,Mar.,Apr., Tokyo
  6. Michael Sullivan, The Arts of China,1973, Berkeley
  7. Asukaen ed., TOYO-BIJYUTU, tom.2, numero special, 1931/10, Nara

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