The Old Monk Standing

Viewing notes

A viewer's written impression — not a buyer review or first-hand record

This standing old monk is finished in a pale golden-yellow tone. Shaven-headed with long earlobes, his forehead and brow carry the lines of years, and his expression is that of a man listening to someone speak, with a hint of a knowing smile. His hands are folded together before his chest, lightly holding a small object, and a knotted band fastens the robe at his left shoulder. The robe falls in layers over his whole frame, the drapery gathering into arcs across the belly, one side of the hem curling outward in a relaxed wave, revealing bare feet on a thin round plinth. There is no aureole and no ornament to spare; slender and plain, the figure holds its presence through the face and the rise and fall of the folds. Warm and bright in tone, it suits a study, a tea room or a meditation corner — like an unassuming elder, quietly keeping company with the room's hours.