Tibetan Buddhist Paintings

Tibetan painting is a main form of Tibetan art and probably the most popular among all forms of Tibetan Buddhist Art. As those in Christianity and other religions, Tibetan paintings play an important role in helping Tibetan people strengthen their religious beliefs.

Tibet paintings have absorbed the essence of Chinese, Indian and Nepalese pictorial arts during its development while still kept its own traditional Tibetan artistic features. Moreover, greatly influenced by Buddhist paintings, Tibet painting is mainly Tibetan Buddhist painting, which can be divided into rock painting, fresco painting, Thangka painting, and engraving painting.

Rock Paintings

Rock painting art is the oldest art form of Tibetan Paintings which was prevalent from prehistoric times to Tubo period. The colorful Tibetan rock drawings include moving of tribes, herding, hunting, war, religious subjects and events, natural worshipping, animals, etc., depicting all aspects of Tibetan lives and the natural environment. Among all, herding, hunting and religious themes are the most frequent motifs.

Depicted either on rock surfaces or on huge stone surface, the existing rock paintings of Tibet can be divided into 2 kinds: petroglyphs (scratched and engraved pictures) and pictographs (painted and chalked pictures).

Fresco Paintings

Fresco painting, widely seen on the walls of all major temples, monasteries and palaces, is a main art form of Tibetan paintings. Originated from early rock paintings, Tibetan fresco art was somewhat influenced by Tibet's indigenous religion Bon and absorbed the exotic style of Buddhist painting art from Chinese hinterland, India, as well as Nepal, and gradually formed their own style.

Tibet frescos cover a wide range of subjects, such as images of Buddha, founders of various Buddhist sects, historical events, wars, legends, myths, social life of Tibetan people and so on. Therefore, the fresco painting is the pictorial encyclopedia of Tibetan religion, history and cultures.

• Buddhist Frescoes in Tashilumpo Monastery

Thangka Paintings

Thangka painting is a very popular art form of Tibetan paintings and is definitely one of the most well-know Tibetan Buddhist art among Tibet travelers, which makes it top of the Tibetan shopping list. Tibetan Thangka paintings, most of which focuses on the motifs of Tibetan Buddhism, are not simply decorations, but religious objects to serve as a constant reminder of the Buddha’s teachings of kindness, compassion and wisdom.

Tibetan Thangkas can be divided into 3 types based on material and technique: embroidered Thangka, painted Thangka and printed Thangka. Among all, the painted Thangka is the most popular and common type of Tibetan Thangka arts.

Engraving Paintings

Engraving painting, also called woodcut art, occurred later than the art forms above. It was the result of the introduction of the block printing technique into Tibet in the early 13th century. The processes of making engraving painting include drawing, plate making, plate cutting and printing. Most of the engraving paintings in Tibet are depictions of sutras and piture volumes of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

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