Tibetan Art

There are already quality representations of the amazing and unique art of Tibet and the Himalayas online. Here are some of the most interesting sources where you can learn more...

Himalayan Art Resources

Shakyamuni Buddha with 8 bodhisattvas
Abhayakaragupta
Asanga
Atisha
Ghantapa, Padmavajra, and Kukkuripa
Machig
Padmasambhava
Rongzom
Sakya Pandita
Green Tara
Vasubhandu

Himalayan Art is an excellent resource for students, scholars, and translators to reference authentic artistic representations of Buddhist deities and ideas through an unparalleled collection of painting, sculpture, and textiles. An excellent example of recently updated content available from Himalayan Art Resources is the Bodhisattva image page and associated Eight Great Bodhisattvas subject page, which provides a wealth of information about one of the most common images of Himalayan Buddhism.

The mission of the Himalayan Art Resources website (HAR) is to create a comprehensive education and research database and virtual museum of Himalayan art:

First, the website exhibits images of art from museum, university and private collections throughout the world.

Second, the website documents all Himalayan art objects that are known through past or present collections or publications.

Third, the database identifies and catalogues all images (comprised of painting, sculpture, ritual objects, murals, etc.). When an object image is not available for lack of permission from the copyright holder, the database uses a place card image. Book cover images are used for publications and generic place cards for collections.

Fourth, the Himalayan Art Resources Inc. website owns no actual or material art. All images on the Himalayan Art Resources Inc. website belong to the individual institutions, museums, private collections and individuals that have loaned their images to the site.

The Rubin Museum, New York

The Rubin Museum of Art is an arts and cultural hub in New York City's vibrant Chelsea neighborhood that inspires visitors to make connections between contemporary life and the art and ideas of the Himalayas and neighboring regions including India. With a diverse array of thought-provoking exhibitions and programs—including films, concerts, and on-stage conversations—the Rubin provides immersive experiences that encourage personal discoveries and spark new ways of seeing the world. Emphasizing cross-cultural connections, the Rubin is a space to contemplate ideas that extend across history and span human cultures. The Rubin Museum has a set of fascinating interactive online art with useful descriptions and videos. Take, for example, the educational resource connected with the "All-Knowing Buddha Vairochana" exhibit: Explore cultural connections by clicking on sections of a traditional Tibetan image and learning about what each piece means — you can even listen to examples of the musical instruments depicted in the image.