Font Size:     Print

Paintings

Tibet murals, Palkhor Monastery

There are generally four kinds of Tibetan paintings: rock paintings, murals, Thangkas and engraving paintings. Rock paintings are the main form of paintings before the early Tubo Kingdom  of Tibet. They are usually remained on the large rocks and cliffs which are made from chiseling, sculpturing and painting. In them, various contents are described, including Tibetans' herding, hunting, moving tribes, dancing, natural worshipping and wars, as well as religious symbols and ceremonies. Among these, herding animals and religious symbols are the most frequent motifs. The religious themes they talk about are closely connected to the indigenous religion, Bon of Tibet. Read Details about Rock Paintings.
Murals are created on the basis of rock paintings and are one of the most abundant and perfect form of paintings in Tibet. They appear in almost every temple in Tibet, and can be widely seen on the walls, ceilings and passages. For their visual expression and the huge and continuous space where they exist, they are often created to illustrate religious teachings, historical events, legends, myths and social life of Tibetans. So they can be called an encyclopedia of Tibet religion, history and cultures. Read Details about {{Tibetan Murals|/arts-culture/mural.htm}}. Tibet Thangka Thangkas grow from murals and are also one of the most popular and distinctive forms of paintings in Tibet. They are often considered as treasures for the temples and locals in Tibet, and are also valued greatly by foreign academic researchers and artistic collectors. They look like the scroll paintings that are popular in the Chinese central land. There are various sizes of Thangkas and the general ones are between 1 sq km. (11 sq yards) and 2 sq km. (22 sq yards). They are made either by directly painting on the cloths or silks or weaving with embroideries, brocades or appliques. The content of these are as expansive as murals, which includ figures, animals, stories, and auspicious symbols. Read Details about Tibetan Thangkas .
Engraving paintings appear the latest among all these forms of paintings. They are created with the introduction of the engraving printing technique to Tibet in the early 13{{{th}}} century. The main works of these paintings are the iconographs of sutras and picture volumes of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Comments and Questions