Painting: Copies & Facsimiles
Painting & Composition Types Subjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Famous Painting Set Copies
- Block Print Images
- Painting: Confusions & Controversies
- Paintings Sets: Index
- Masterworks
- Confusions
- Others...
With Himalayan and Tibetan art there many examples of copies and fewer examples of true facsimiles. The best known representations of copies are the Block Print created sets of paintings depicting the incarnation lineage of the Panchen Lamas. There are more than a dozen common examples of Block Print sets with varying subjects the most popular being the life of the Buddha, Padmasambhava the life of Tsongkapa, and others. The mass production of prints using wood blocks was very popular in Central Tibet with the Gelug Tradition beginning at a factory level of production in the 17th century.
Early copies are also known with the subjects generally being either Shakyamuni Buddha or the Five Symbolic Buddhas.
At Palpung Monastery in Eastern Tibet during the 18th and 19th century it was common place to make copies of popular subjects such as White Tara, White Manjushri and sets of paintings, some sets envisioned by Situ Panchen Chokyi Jungne himself and then recreated by others. None of the Palpung creations are known to have been further committed to wood block prints.
Jeff Watt 3-2015 [updated 7-2018]
(The images below are a small selection of examples).
