Tibetan Mendicant Lama, Darjeeling 

This is an etching by G. Douglas, depicting a Tibetan Mendicant Lama in Darjeeling. The print offers us a glimpse into the colonial gaze and its representation of Tibetan culture in the early 20th century. The image creates meaning through its careful depiction of the lama's robes, prayer beads, and prayer wheel – all visual markers of Tibetan Buddhism. Darjeeling, the Indian town in which the Lama has been sighted, was a significant site of British colonial administration. The British Empire’s policies shaped the economic and political landscape of the region, influencing trade routes and cultural exchanges and having a lasting impact on the social structures of the area. Mendicant monks existed both within and outside of these imperial structures, sometimes challenging the wealth and power of monastic institutions. By consulting historical archives, travelogues, and ethnographic studies, we can unravel the complex layers of meaning embedded within this artwork and better understand the social conditions of its time. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.