Teacher: Milarepa (Winter Palace, Mongolia)
Milarepa (Winter Palace Museum) | Winter Palace Museum Main Page | Milarepa Main Page
The Winter Palace Museum has some interesting objects and with paintings there are a couple that stand out and really command attention. One of those paintings is a life story composition of Milarepa. The entire life story is contained in the single composition. Everything about it is unusual from the artistic style to the selection of narratives depicted surrounding the central figure.
The story begins at the bottom right with the birth of Milarepa and then moves clockwise to the left and then upward to the top of the painting and the passing of Milarepa.
(Learn more about this painting from the publication: MONGOLIAN BUDDHIST ART: MASTERPIECES FROM THE MUSEUMS OF MONGOLIA. Volume I, Part 1 & 2: Thangkas, Embroideries, and Appliques. Edited by Zara Fleming and J. Lkhagvademchig Shastri. Serindia Publications, 2011. ISBN 978-932476-37-8).
