The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Bodhidharma Meditating Facing a Cliff

late 1200s
Painting only: 116.5 x 46.4 cm (45 7/8 x 18 1/4 in.); Overall with knobs: 203.2 x 63.5 cm (80 x 25 in.)
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Rough and calligraphic brushwork for landscape and drapery contrasts with more psychologically penetrating representation of the two protagonists' faces.

Description

Bodhidharma is the legendary founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China. Here he is seen meditating in front of a cliff, atop Mount Song. Behind him is his disciple Huike, the first recipient of his teaching.
  • T. Inouye
    ?–1972
    (Kuniyoshi Miura, Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1972–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • To-So Gen-Min meigwa tai kwan 唐宋元明名畫大觀. Tōkyō: Ōtsuka Kōgeisha, 1930. vol. I, 72
    Okada, Saburōsuke 岡田三郎助, Rinpū Sasagawa 笹川臨風, and Yoneame Iizuka 飯塚米雨. Nihonga taisei 日本畫大成. Tōkyō: Tōhō Shoin, 1931. Reproduced: pt. II, vol. L, pl. 52
    Harada, Kinjirō 原田謹次郎. Shina meiga hōkan [支那名畫寶鑒 = The pageant of Chinese painting]. Tōkyō: Ōtsuka Kōgeisha, 1936. Reproduced: pl. 136
    Harada, Kinjirō 原田謹次郎. Nihon genzai Shina meiga mokuroku 日本現在支那名畫目錄. Tōkyō: Ōtsuka Kōgeisha, 1938. p. 40
    Sirén, Osvald. Chinese Painting: Leading Masters and Principles. New York: Ronald Press, 1956. Mentioned: vol. II, Lists, 89
    Lee, Sherman E. “Zen in Art: Art in Zen.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 59, no. 9, 1972, pp. 239–259. Reproduced: p. 241, figs. 4, 4a 25152451
    Lee, Sherman Emery, and James Robinson. The Colors of Ink: Chinese Paintings and Related Ceramics from the Cleveland Museum of Art. New York: Asia Society; distributed by New York Graphic Society, 1974. cat. no. 9
    Ho, Wai-kam, Sherman E. Lee, Laurence Sickman, and Marc F. Wilson. Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting: The Collections of the Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1980. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 64, p. 83
    Buswell, Robert E. Encyclopedia of Buddhism. New York: Macmillan Reference, USA, 2004. Reproduced: Vol 1, A-L, p. 128
    Toda, Teisuke 戸田 禎佑. Mokkei gyokukan 牧谿・玉澗. Tōkyō: Kōdansha,1973. Reproduced: p. 175, pl. 102
  • Chinese Buddhist Art Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 11, 2022-May 7, 2023).
    Inspired by Chinese Landscape and Art – Chinese Gallery Rotation 240a, 241c. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 14, 2017-February 5, 2018).
    Awakenings: Zen Figure Painting in Medieval Japan. Japan Society Gallery, New York, NY (organizer) (March 22-June 17, 2007).
    Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 119). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 29, 2003-March 15, 2004).
    Asian Autumn: Masterpieces from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17, 1991-January 5, 1992).
    Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (November 7, 1980-January 4, 1981); The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 11-March 29, 1981); Tokyo National Museum (October 4-November 17, 1982).
    The Colors of Ink. Asia House Galleries (January 10-March 3, 1974); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 9-May 12, 1974).
    Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
    To-So-Gen-Min, II. Tokyo Imperial Museum, Tokyo, Japan (November 24-December 16, 1928).
  • {{cite web|title=Bodhidharma Meditating Facing a Cliff|url=false|author=|year=late 1200s|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.41