Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) and Scenes from His Life

This painting depicts the life story of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Geluk Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and is a part of a set of fifteen paintings. The woodblocks carvings for the set were sponsored by a prominent ruler of Central Tibet, Polhane Sonam Tobgye (1689–1747), and probably engraved at Tashilhungpo Monastery, one of the strongholds of the Geluk tradition associated with Panchen Lamas. Tsongkhapa, wearing the yellow hat often associated with the Geluk tradition, is prominently featured at the center. Numerous inscribed scenes illustrating key moments from his life are separated by clouds, trees, mountains, and landscape elements. The pictorial narrative closely follows his biographies depicting events, places, and Tsongkhapa’s visionary experiences, which are identified by inscriptions, including the central image that shows Tsongkhapa in Central Tibet. This painting contains eighteen episodes and the whole set included two hundred and three.