The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 7, 2026

A vertically oriented fragmentary fresco depicts the Buddha, who sits cross-legged at the center in white robes. He has a light skin tone, blue hair with a rounded protrusion, and raises his right hand with thumb and index finger pressed together. A halo and larger green circle sit behind his head, while smaller figures appear in the lower corners. Significant surface loss obscures his face and reveals the underlying weathered material.

Buddha in the Preaching Attitude

618–1279

China, Tang dynasty

(618-907) - Song dynasty (960-1279)
Fresco
Overall: 49 x 35 cm (19 5/16 x 13 3/4 in.)
Gift of John L. Severance 1926.238
Location: Not on view
  • (C. T. Loo 盧芹齋 [1880–1957])
    ?–1926
    John L. Severance [1863–1936], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1926–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Sizer, Theodore. "A Chinese Fresco Painting," The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 14, no. 8 (October 1927): 133–134 Reproduced: cover; Mentioned: p. 133 www.jstor.org
    Milliken, William M. “Mr. Severance’s Gifts to the Museum.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 23, no. 2 (February 1936): 17–27. Reproduced: p. 22; Mentioned: p. 26 www.jstor.org
  • Materials of the Artist. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 4-December 12, 1958).
  • {{cite web|title=Buddha in the Preaching Attitude|url=false|author=|year=618–1279|access-date=07 October 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.238