Portrait of a Nepalese Elder, “The Lama of Thame,” by Dave McNally

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This portrait, titled "The Lama of Thame," is a masterful oil-on-canvas board work by the acclaimed American alpinist and artist … Read more This portrait, titled "The Lama of Thame," is a masterful oil-on-canvas board work by the acclaimed American alpinist and artist Dave McNally. As noted verso, it captures Nawang Tashi Sherpa, an elder from the historic village of Thame in the Khumbu region of Nepal near Mount Everest.

SUBJECT: The painting depicts Nawang Tashi seated peacefully at a doorway, draped in the traditional deep maroon robes of a Himalayan Buddhist practitioner, layered with a modern yellow vest and red jacket. As in this work, McNally uses an indirect oil painting style reminiscent of the Old Masters. He layers transparent glazes over a detailed underpainting to achieve incredible depth, capturing the weather-worn, expressive textures of the man's face and hands alongside the vibrant fabric folds.

ARTIST: Born in the late 1950s-early 1960s, Dave McNally studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In the early 1980s, he moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to balance his twin passions: fine art and mountaineering. His life shifted permanently in 1988 when he was invited to join the Wyoming Centennial Everest Expedition as the official expedition artist.

Captivated by the high peaks and local cultures, McNally spent the next several decades organizing, guiding and leading high-altitude treks throughout Nepal and Tibet via his venture, Mountain Odyssey Treks. Over those years, he formed deep personal bonds with local communities. This specific portrait was painted in his studio, referenced from photographs and personal encounters during his extensive travels through the Khumbu Valley.

This piece sits firmly within McNally's mature Himalayan Collection. While his early career focused primarily on American Western landscapes, Native American subjects and Teton scenery, his post-1988 work heavily integrated highly detailed, metaphorical portraits of Tibetan and Nepalese peoples. The style seen here—blending intense realism with profound, tranquil symbolism—defines his signature later-career studio work.

VERSO INSCRIPTION: In the inscription on the back ("Nawang Tashi Sherpa"), the word Sherpa serves as both an ethnic identifier and an official family surname. The Sherpa are an indigenous ethnic group native to the most mountainous regions of Nepal. Historically, they did not use Western-style last names. When the Nepalese government began requiring formal registration for passports, census data and legal paperwork, it became standard practice for members of this community to use their ethnic group name, Sherpa, as their legal family surname. While the global mountaineering community frequently uses the lowercase word "sherpa" as a job description for high-altitude guides or porters, in the context of this man's identity, it is his lineage and heritage.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Bottom left (photo #9). Unframed dimensions: 24 inches high x 18 inches wide. See less