Lovers
The lovers, arms entwined, are seen bound together by a transparent embroidered shawl which wraps the woman and man together in a tender embrace. The artist has skillfully exploited the translucency of the watercolor medium to full effect. Signature motifs, such as the sacred goose—the Buddha’s messenger, the hamsa—seemingly embroidered in the shawl’s border design, reference both Sinhalese culture and Buddhism, the two strands central to Manjusri’s life, as both a monk and a householder artist.
Artwork Details
- Title: Lovers
- Artist: L. T. P. Manjusri (Sri Lankan, 1902–1982)
- Date: dated September 21, 1977
- Culture: Sinhala
- Medium: Watercolor on paper
- Dimensions: 17 3/4 × 14 7/8 in. (45.1 × 37.8 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lin Lougheed Collection, Gift of Lin Lougheed, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.754.2
- Rights and Reproduction: © Manjusri Family
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
L. T. P. Manjusri
dated April 18, 1974
L. T. P. Manjusri
dated November 14, 1973
L. T. P. Manjusri
dated January 17, 1979
Yi Yong-u (artist name: Mungno)
probably 1940s
Inoue Yūichi
1966
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.