Tibet, 18th century

Masterfully painted in clear vivid colors, this work demonstrates the New Menri style of painting which is known for its naturalism and elegance. The persimmon-colored Buddha is seated on a lush lotus throne backed by a radiant double-nimbus and flanked by Ushnisha on the left and green Tara on the right. Zalzang Padma Wangchug (1719-1770s), an important hierarch in the Nyingma Buddhist tradition, sits in the sky at top center surrounded by lineage figures. Protector deities encompassed in flames including Dorje Legpa and Tsiu Mara at bottom left, Du in the center and Lu and Yang Sang Dragmo at right, are interspersed within the rich verdant landscape.
This painting is from a set of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava, five of which reside in the collection of the Mead Art Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts. The verso of each is consecrated by a long inscription and a pair of handprints which may be attributed to the Seventh Dalai Lama (M. Rhie, Picturing Enlightenment: Tibetan Tangkas in the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, Amherst, 2013, p.140, footnote 11).