Narrative depictions of the lives of religious figures are found in thangkas, usually with the various events shown around a much larger central figure. The life of Gautama Buddha is depicted,Rhie and Thurman, 86–89; a detailed thangka in the Rubin Museum as well as his previous lives,Rhie and Thurman, 90–97, but the other most important buddhas and bodisattvas generally lack biographies. Tibetan figures such as Padmasambhava,Rhie and Thurman, 176–177 Milarepa,Rhie and Thurman, 242–245 and famous monks such as Sakya Pandita,Rhie and Thurman, 210–211 and the Third Dalai Lama may be treated in a similar style.Rhie and Thurman, 268–271 From the 18th century these scenes may be placed in a detailed landscape drawing on Chinese styles.Rhie and Thurman, 211, 245 Another style has a main central figure with much smaller portraits around the edge of the composition, either in compartments or in later examples in a landscape setting. These may be divine figures, or monks who were mentors or pupils.Rhie and Thurman, 168–171, 174–175
