The Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara   The point of belief and worship for a figure such as this Bodhisattva was easy to reach for the Tibetans. Avalokitesvara is one of the major figures often depicted in Tibetan art because of his basic nature of mercy. His was the vow to save all sentient beings before becoming a Buddha himself.       A strong feeling of genuine character saturates this painting. With fewer but larger figures treated in combination of both razor sharp and bold brushstrokes, this comes across as an absolutely cool painting. By making a plain statement it is contemptuous of emotional excitement. It avoids emotional tone, violent ecstatic yearning and the intense feelings which fall into pettiness. It is calm and contains an ease and a blending of various consciousnesses. This is accomplished by combining a variety of treatments of the paint and the placing of incompatible figures next to each other. These images reveal a unity by their symbolic decorative handling which permeate and interlock one with the other. The figure of the thunder god in the lower right hand corner and the giant delicate petals do not jar each other because both are transformed from the appearance of real objects to the same degree. The fire is almost as floral as the petals are full of light. There is also the unique style differences in the left and right mountain landscapes. The left one is crisper in treatment with its section-view of water inside a mountain covered with snow. The same mountain on the right, in summer, is softer and full of a moist treatment almost as if done by a different artist. But as the seasons merge into a larger year, these landscapes also merge around the Bodhisattva. Next
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