Shuilu ritual paintings (Chinese: 水陸畫;pinyin:Shuǐlù huà; lit: "Paintings of Water and Land") are a style of traditionalChinese painting based onBuddhist andTaoist divinities that are used during the eponymous Chinese BuddhistShuilu Fahui ceremony where these figures are invoked. The paintings are mainly intricate portraits ofdeities, historical figures, and the contrasting lives of common people and tragedies, in an ornate style with rich use of vivid colors and patterns. The paintings can encompass a wide range of mediums, including scroll-painting, murals, and even sculptures.[1][2]
Despite their often mythological subject matter, the parts of the Shuilu ritual paintings that are dedicated to commoners show a realistic, often downtrodden and tragic view of their everyday lives, as part of the ritual to reflect on the suffering of the deceased.[1] The paintings preserve the intricacies of their respective eras' fashions and give a greater view of their cultural and spiritual landscape. The visual similarities in the portraits between the divine figures and traditionalChinese opera costumes also illuminate the mutual inspiration between the two art forms.[2]
The history of Shuilu ritual paintings can be traced back to theThree Kingdoms period, with other early mentions during the lateTang dynasty,[3] and became popular during theYuan,Ming andQing dynasties as a part of the BuddhistShuilu Fahui ritual to appease and enshrine spirits of the deceased. While the painting style has its origins in Buddhist ritual, the paintings also includeTaoist andRuist figures as reflections of localfolk-religious culture.[1][2]Many of the best-preserved paintings are from the Ming and Qing dynasties, particularly inShanxi andHebei.[3]
In modern contemporaryChinese Buddhist practice, newly created Shuilu ritual paintings as well as prints of historical paintings are still used during theShuilu Fahui ceremony and other related rituals to invoke and enshrine the divinities depicted.[4]
![Shangyuan furen [zh] and Houtu](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aDame_de_l%2527Origine_sup%25C3%25A9rieure_(Shangyuan_furen)_et_l%2527imp%25C3%25A9ratrice_de_la_Terre_(Houtu_yuanjun).jpg)
