Painting Tradition: Khyenri - Five Styles of Iconographic Subjects
Khyenri Art History | Khyenri IconographyFive Styles of Iconographic Subjects & Composition:
- Figures & Narratives
- Peaceful Deities
- Wrathful Deities
- Mandalas
- Black Ground
A painting style is often discussed in a general manner with the origins arising from a single artist or a specific region. With any identifiable style it has to be supported by examples of art. With any established and influential style of painting then it also has to be recognized and discussed with reference to the four prominent Buddhist iconographic subjects. What are the subjects? They are figures & narratives, peaceful deities, wrathful deities, mandalas and black ground. The Khyenri style and the later Khyenri tradition has these five subjects, but not all Tibetan styles and traditions have the five subjects.
The five iconographic subjects are important because they don't all share the same stylistic characteristics. So, what does that mean? Does it mean that Khyenri has five different styles right from the beginning? In a way, yes, that is what it means. Teacher figures are drawn in a manner that is different from peaceful and wrathful deities. The backgrounds, landscape and colour combinations are different between the varied subjects.
Jeff Watt 8-2020 [updated 7-2024]
(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).
