Four seated Mastersc. 1450 · Study 1960.209

Context from the museum

Founders and prominent masters of the Sakya order of Buddhism in Tibet are featured in this painting as part of the lineage of teachers who transmitted knowledge of their fundamental text, the Hevajra Tantra . It is part of a series of paintings made at one of the main Sakya monastic centers, which had close ties with Nepal. This Tibetan artwork includes Nepalese features, such as the delicate, decorative quality of the painting, its two-dimensionality, the exaggerated curvature of the upper eyelid, and the filling of all spaces with scrollwork.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for Four seated Masters is 52 cm wide and 57.7 cm high, equivalent to approximately 20.5 × 22.7 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.90:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.30 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 17.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 124.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Four seated Masters in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and gold on cotton, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 52 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?