Legend and myth in Himalayan art

Tibetan Art

Himalayan art must be viewed within its social, cultural, historical, and religious contexts. The Drowa Sangmo Mural and the portrait of Shantarakshita are both stellar examples of Himalayan Buddhist art, telling stories not just of the literal history of Buddhism but also of the underlying cultural forces and religious meanings at play. The Drowa Sangmo Mural is painted directly on the wall of a temple in Tibet; its religious context is literally inseparable from the painting. The Drowa Sangmo Mural also depicts in two-dimensional format the dynamism of Tibetan opera: another art form that encapsulates the complexity of Tibetan culture and the link between art, culture, and religion. Shantarakshita is a portrait of a monk who was instrumental in bringing Buddhism to Tibet. Both the Drowa Sangmo Mural and the portrait of the monk Shantarakshita shows how historical events, religion, and art are inseparable in the Himalayas.

Shantarakshita is a thangka, one of the central media used in Tibetan art. The painting is executed directly onto cloth, which is likely to be regional silk. Shantarakshita's seated form occupies the bulk of the cloth canvas. The monk smiles at the world with an expression of undying joy and bliss. His right hand is placed in the dharmachakra mudra, which symbolizes the dissemination of wisdom from teacher to student. Emphasizing the fact that Shantarakshita is an eminent teacher, he holds in his other hand a religious scroll and he also wears a scholarly cap ("Historical Narrative: Shantarakshita"). Moreover, a stack of books is plainly visible to the right, on Shantarakshita's left side.

Surrounding the image of Shantarakshita, who is the central image of what is essentially a mandala composition, are detailed scenes depicting how the eminent teacher brought the teachings of the Buddha to Tibet and helped to establish the Himalayan nation's first Buddhist monastery. The eye remains drawn to Shantarakshita, as the artist intends to exalt Shantarakshita as the one who firmly entrenched Buddhism in the hearts, minds, souls, and daily lives of Tibetans. Rendered in a rich color palette containing saturated blues, reds, greens, and oranges, there is no remaining white space on the canvas. The lowermost portion of the composition is more cluttered than the uppermost portion, serving a symbolic function. The artist contrasts the mundane world of the human mind and society with the transcendent world of enlightenment. The blue halo surrounding Shantarakshita leads the eye upward, via a lotus blossom, towards the two figures above him: Shakyamuni Buddha to the right and Shantarakshita's own teacher to the left ("Historical Narrative: Shantarakshita").

Although it is permanently on display in a Tibetan temple, the Drowa Sangmo Mural depicts more of a mundane scene than does the portrait of Shantarakshita. Nothing, however, is entirely mundane in Tibetan society. The Drowa Sangmo proves that fact by depicting a Tibetan opera scene. The drama unfolds, representing historical events.