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The standard set of paintings depicting the life story of Je Tsongkapa, designed in the early 18th century by Jamyang Shepa, has fifteen individual compositions. There are several iconographic systems based on explanatory texts laying out the life of Tsongkapa chronologically accompanied by number references. Short inscriptions and the sequential number are often found on the front surface of each painting  either below or beside the narrative vignette being referenced.

There are two main compositional formats for the sets of paintings. The first format [1] is symmetrical with Tsongkapa always depicted at the center of each composition. The second format [2] is asymmetrical with Tsongkapa appearing to the right or left side of the composition. The majority of compositions follow the symmetrical format. This format is clearly based on the Jamyang Shepa textual explanation and possibly other earlier instructions. In the 18th century a set of wood blocks were carved making it possible to create large numbers of block print images on paper, cloth and silk.

Tsongkapa Life Story Painting Sets (complete, or nearly complete):

- Blockprint Set (Tibetan Painted Scrolls)

- Blockprint Set on Silk (Tibet House, India)

- Field Museum Set (USA)

- Tibetan Painted Scrolls

- Zanabazar Museum (Mongolia)

For a much earlier life story painting (15th century) in a single composition see HAR #410.