蓮花觀音

Avalokitesvara, (literally, "Lord who looks down") is the bodhisattva that embodies compassion. (Compassion when combined with wisdom results in enlightenment.) A bodhisattva is an enlightened being who chose to remain in the world to help others become enlightened. Originally, this bodhisattva was depicted as a male figure. After Buddhism spread to China, a female representation known as Guanyin became standard for this most popular bodhisattva.

This painting is based on a story about a boy and a white parrot who came to be devoted to Guanyin. However, the image seems very secular, and it has been described as "a quintessential Qing dynasty beauty...a seductive figure."