Monasteries in Lhasa

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This eastern Tibetan thangka from the first half of the 19th century depicts the prominent monasteries in Lhasa, Tibet. The artist paints the scene as if looking down from a great height, giving the buildings a three-dimensional appearance and capturing the topography of the surrounding countryside.
The Potala Palace occupies the center of the image. A procession of figures can be seen walking up the steps to the main building. In the upper register, the three main monasteries of the Gelug school are shown: Drepung Monastery is in the upper left corner, Sera Monastery is on the right beside Potala Palace, and Ganden Monastery is on the far right. Jokhang Temple takes up most of the bottom right corner. Interspersed among these impressive monastic and temple complexes are smaller buildings, a large group of mounted figures, and herd of horses, all against a background of rolling hills, streams, and trees. The carefully depicted buildings, detailed landscape, lively figures, and bright colors in this image make it a beautiful example of architectural representation in Tibetan art.