The sage, dressed in a flowing red robe, his hirsute arms and foreleg bared, possibly to indicate his Indian origin (Buddhism came to China from India, and was regarded as a ‘foreign’ religion); his right hand holding his rosary; text beside him; a bowl in front as he sits on his rush mat, gazing contemplatively. Signed:Chen Chong Guang*

*This artist was famous in the mid 19th Century. He worked for the calligraphy and seal society early in his career and later achieved first place in the Taiping Government’s Painting Examinations. A famous mural in the Taiping leader’s mansion was painted by this artist.