What an uplifting article in yesterdays New York Times (NYT) - Seeking the 'Eye' for Art'.

Have you ever thought to yourself about how some Himalayan style paintings look better than others, that some sculpture are better formed, or more naturalistic? The Himalayan Art Resources Team (HAR) have been working very hard over these many years to exhibit as much art as possible, as many collections as possible, institutional and private. We also believe very strongly in accurate iconographic identifications, tradition and lineage affiliations, and use of original textual sources in cataloguing. Also, recognizing a need in the past few years, many new pages have been added to the HAR site which deal with connoisseurship and the actual looking at art (preferrably real art rather than just an image on a screen, but an image on a screen is at least a start and available to all). See the Masterworks Pages on HAR: Chakrasamvara Masterworks, Panjarnata Mahakala Masterworks, Karmapa Masterworks, etc.

As for the NYT article, we also agree that in the field of Himalayan and Tibetan art studies, the art has been hijacked by other academic disciplines such as Religious Studies (and the study of iconography), Anthropology and Ethnography. The art itself has become relagated to being mere data and props for the discussion of ideas and theories. As the NYT article says "data versus connoisseurship". This article is a wake up call, timely and refreshing.

(See post on the Tricycle Magazine Blog site).

'Art Depicted in Art' collects together all, or as many as found, of the paintings that depict 'art objects' in the composition. Sometimes the process of painting is highlighted in a narrative vignette, or sculpture arranged on a shrine, or sculpture in a small temple. This page is about two-dimensional and three dimensional art represented and depicted in paintings. Sometimes it is difficult to find the vignette, or visual scene, where the art object is depicted. Look carefully and the art within the art will be found.

The painting of the 16th Karmapa is painting following photography. The painting was done from a black and white photograph. Another painting, this time of the 13th Karmapa is painting following sculpture. The image at the top center of the composition is a depiction of a famous metal cast sculpture by the 10th Karmapa, Choying Dorje.

There are Three Main Painting Subjects and Compositional Types in Himalayan Art. The first is Figurative art with depictions of people and deities. The second is Diagrammatic represented by Mandalas, Charts, Refuge Fields and Wheel of Life paintings. The third is the Narrative type which can either have a central figure or no central figure. This last type over-laps with Figurative art.