Tshering Gyalpo

CHINA, Tibet, Lhoka

Tshering Gyalpo was a Tibetan painter and the son of the well-known artist, Jamyang Norbu. At the age of 11, he studied basic Tibetan language and began chanting sutra texts. He began painting under the instruction of his father at age 13, and later, he entered the Xueduibai Traditional Manual Art Center in Lhasa. There, he was in charge of the painting of murals and thangkas under the direction of the local government and served as a supervisor and chief supervisor.
In 1904, Tshering Gyalpo accompanied the Thirteenth Dalai Lama to Beijing. Along the way, he was requested to sketch the chronological events of the trip, as well as study Chinese art forms. After their return to Tibet, he was highly regarded by the Dalai Lama and was instructed to paint murals in the Norbulingka Palace and Potala Palace. Many of his disciples, including his two sons, Kelsang Norbu and Tenpa Rabten, inherited and propagated the tradition of the Menri school.
Extant paintings by Tshering Gyalpo include the mural in the Chensel Palace of Norbulingka Palace, and the Four Heavenly Kings, Biography of Songtsan Gampo, and Illustrations on Buddhist Similes and Parables at Jokhang Temple.