Samantabhadra on an Elephant with Two Attendants

By the late 18th century, subjects that deal with Daoist immortals and their fantasy stories were increasingly chosen for paintings. For their wish-granting message, Daoist figure paintings such as this one were often commissioned to celebrate festive occasions. Judging from its dimension, this paining may have been part of either a small-size multi-panel folding screen or a large-size album that depicts a series of Daoist immortals and Buddhist deities.

Credit: Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust