The deity depicted here is Dhrtarastra, the one of the Four Guardian Kings who protects the east. Seated in a chair, he holds a sharp sword and glares fiercely to his left. Clay or wooden sculptures of the Four Guardian Kings were commonly enshrined at a temple gate. In the late Joseon period, pictorial representations of them were also enshrined in place of sculptures.
Large-scale Buddhist paintings were generally produced using pieces of hemp or silk cloth stitched together. However, this painting used British cotton. The upper section of the painting bears a stamp reading "PATENT VICTORIA-LAWN," which indicates that this fabric is imported. Since Buddhist paintings rendered on imported British cotton can mainly be found in memorial temples for the Joseon royal family, this painting is presumed to have also been enshrined in a large temple.