Portrait of Kelzang Gyatso, the Seventh Dalai Lama

This Tibetan thangka painting depicts the Seventh Dalai Lama centered in a hierarchical composition, wearing traditional yellow-peaked monk's hat and saffron-red robes, making a gesture of teaching or blessing. He is flanked by tiers of smaller figures representing a lineage of enlightened masters and high lamas, all seated in meditative poses on lotus pedestals or cushions. The background is a dense, earthy landscape of hills and rocks. At the base, a dark-skinned, wrathful, multi-armed protective deity is shown in a dynamic posture, acting as a fierce guardian of the central figure.

As a central figure of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama represents the continuity of the Dharma and the spiritual governance of Tibet, following the lineage established by Tsongkhapa. This portrait serves as a devotional aid for practitioners to visualize and connect with the spiritual authority and lineage of the Dalai Lama.