Ōtsu-e Nirvana of the Buddha (Ōtsu-e Butsu Nehanzu)

Also known as: Parinirvana: Buddha Achieving Nirvana (The Death of the Buddha)

About the Artwork

The painting parodies the traditional representation of this subject. The death of Buddha is actually the moment he achieves nirvana and escapes the endless cycle of death and rebirth. Hakuen transformed this serious moment (see The Death of the Buddha, CMA 1916.1141) into a lively parody with otsu-e subjects. Mourners surround the Buddha. An oni, who pretends to be a priest, holds his gong in the air as he beats his drums and chants prayers. The wisteria maiden appears at the left, bringing water to the mourners. Behind her is an oni in the guise of a thunder god beating his drums. The animals along the foreground represent other otsu-e characters and models. The painting would have amused 19th-century viewers familiar with the usual Buddhist imagery.

Provenance

?–1954: Mizuno, Otsu City, Japan 1954–2016: Dr. Daniel [1921–1996] and Mitzie Verne [1922–2016], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art 2016–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Visions of Japan: Prints and Paintings from Cleveland Collections. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 12, 2004-April 10, 2005).

Quick Overview

Artist: Hakuen (Japanese, active 1850–1870)
Date: 1800s
Medium: hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Overall: 201.9 x 78.7 cm (79 1/2 x 31 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Japanese Art
Credit line: Collection of Dr. Daniel Verne and Mitzie Verne
Accession no.: 2016.306

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.