Why have Dunhuang murals survived for thousands of years? Uncover the historical secrets of Dunhuang murals

I believe that many friends will be shocked to see the Dunhuang murals, Mogao Grottoes, West Thousand Buddha Caves and other 552 grottoes, is the world's last grotto group of frescoes, but also the place of Buddhist art. Mogao Grottoes were built in the pre-Qin period, more than 1,600 years ago, many people are curious why Dunhuang murals can be preserved for thousands of years? In fact, Dunhuang murals there are many questions can not be answered, but his significance is absolutely extraordinary. The following is to introduce you to the Dunhuang murals in the history of the secret, want to understand if you quickly come to see it.

Chinese painting is black and white literati ink painting? In Dunhuang, Mogao Grottoes of a thousand years of heavy color frescoes tell us that the use of color, in the tradition of Chinese painting was once the absolute mainstream. More than a thousand years of colorful murals have made the Mogao Grottoes a veritable "art museum in the desert," preserving for us the precious memory of traditional Chinese painting. However, after the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, the history of Chinese art, dominated by ink scroll paintings, has to some extent obscured the value of colorful murals.

To promote the Mogao Grottoes as a rich artistic treasure and its embedded tradition of Chinese painting, copying can be said to be the first and fundamental task. In his book "Ancient Paintings", the Southern Dynasty painting theorist Xie He wrote the "Six Methods" summarizing the principles of ancient Chinese aesthetics into molding and writing (i.e. copying). In a sense, the history of contemporary Mogao Grottoes art research is also strung by copying, several generations of "face wall" copying, in order for us to retain, continue the precious and fragile cultural heritage at the same time, but also to let the traditional art of bursting out of the more robust vitality.

Yu Youren suggested that the national government set up the Dunhuang Academy of Art, early 1942

In 1941, then President of the Kuomintang Procuratorate Yu Youren came to Mogao Grottoes when he visited the Northwest, was y shocked by the exquisite frescoes. He said, the Mogao Caves art, "the design of the strict, soft lines, the lace of the rich, not ordinary artisan paintings, most of them from the hand of the famous". But it is heartbreaking that the Mogao Caves due to the lack of professional management, a piece of the wreckage. Therefore, Yu Youren immediately wrote to the Nationalist government, "proposed the establishment of Dunhuang Art Institute, with a view to preserving the culture of the Oriental peoples and the development of things". In his appeal and the community's concern and solidarity, in 1944, the National Dunhuang Art Institute was established.

Mogao Grottoes, nine floors south of the caves of the early 20th century, the dilapidated scene, Stein shot in 1907

Dunhuang Art Institute Preparatory Committee to Dunhuang, the center of the Chang Shuhong, 1943

Dunhuang Art Institute was established, can be said to have opened the Mogao Grottoes to the protection of the country's new chapter. At the beginning of the establishment of the Institute, the primary task is to study, research and protection of cave art. Years of natural and man-made destruction, Mogao Grottoes murals and sculptures on the verge of destruction, it can be said that the protection work can not be delayed, so salvage murals and colorful sculptures copying, has become the most important, the most urgent core work. The first director Chang Shuhong, painstakingly overcome all kinds of difficulties, opened the Dunhuang Cave art as the representative of the traditional Chinese culture protection and development of the road.

Chang Shuhong, director of the Dunhuang Art Institute, copying murals in a cave, 1945

Group photo of the Dunhuang Art Institute staff, 1946

Unlike the personal copying of Li Dinglong and Zhang Daqian, the copying during this period was more from the point of view of preserving murals on the verge of destruction, and doing salvage copying. Chang Shuhong led the staff of the Institute, while clearing the quicksand, numbering the caves, the content of the examination, while nervously carrying out the preservation, rescue copying. The efforts were recognized, and in 1948, the Dunhuang Art Institute's copies were exhibited in Nanjing and Shanghai, attracting attention from all walks of life.

Guo Moruo, Chairman of the Chinese Federation of Literature, inscribed "Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Heritage"

Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Heritage, 1953

In 1951, the Dunhuang Art Institute was renamed the Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Heritage and set up a policy of "protection, research, and promotion". This period is also the copying of Dunhuang murals in the largest number, the quality of the fastest improvement of the golden period.

From the first day to the Mogao Grottoes, Chang Shuhong headfirst into the cave copying, mural research; and after him, this great work in the Duan Wenjie, Huo Xiliang, Ouyang Lin, Shi Weixiang, Li Qiong, Sun Jiyuan, Guan Youhui, Wan Gengyu and other painters under the pen to be continued. Different from the previous salvage copying, they began to consciously study, summarize the purpose of copying, style and technique, establish a perfect copying review mechanism, and gradually formed the status quo copying, finishing copying to the restoration of copying the mural painting copying system. The current copy is mainly an objective copy, for exhibition; finishing copy is through comparative research to make up for the local loss of artistic image, to provide information for related research; restoration of the copy, it is in the full study and proof of the initial appearance of the mural restoration of the copy, the process itself is a kind of research.

The 25th cave of the Yulin Cave - Dunhuang Cultural Heritage Research Institute of art workers copying the former room after the completion of the meeting of the King of Heaven review, 1956

A large number of murals have been elucidated after thousands of years, to go back to a thousand years ago, just painted the face of the need for horizontal and vertical comparison and a lot of research, so the restoration of the copying of the greatest difficulty and strength of the kind of research. But it is very important, such as the famous "Lady Dudu ritual Buddha", the original picture has been damaged, if not Mr. Duan Wenjie restoration of copying, people will probably never be able to see the original appearance of this piece of art treasures.

Duan Wenjie on the Mogao Cave Cave 130 damaged "Lady Dudu salute to Buddha" recovery copy, 1955

Mogao Cave Cave 130 canopied south wall of Lady Dudu salute to Buddha, Sun Zhijun photography

In the Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Heritage at the time of the director of the Duan Wenjie and Dunhuang scholars Shiwei Xiang, copying is definitely not a good idea.

Guan Youhui, Shi Weixiang, and Huo Xiliang copied the mural paintings of Cave 249, and in 1956

the work of copying paid off. from the early 1950s, the Dunhuang Institute of Cultural Heritage in India, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Japan, and Burma, organized the "China Dunhuang Art Exhibition," which aroused great Artistic ****. So far, the Dunhuang Research Institute has been in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and other 16 countries to organize international Dunhuang exhibitions, domestic exhibitions are more throughout the place, are harvested warm response.

Exhibition of Dunhuang Art in China, Japan, 1958

The use of natural mineral pigments was an important factor in the preservation of Dunhuang murals for thousands of years. But in the subsequent tradition of Chinese painting, ink brushwork in pursuit of imagery gradually replaced the expression of heavy color, and the once brilliant world of color seemed to be forgotten.

However, the painters at Dunhuang did not forget that the painters of the 1940s-80s could not afford to use natural mineral pigments due to objective conditions; after the 1980s, the Dunhuang Conservation Institute was expanded into the Dunhuang Academy, and the copying of murals at Dunhuang began a new breakthrough, namely the use of the same colors as those used in the caves, and the use of the same colors as those used in the caves. The breakthrough, which began to use the same natural mineral pigments as cave murals, followed the ancient painting techniques and applied to modern art creation "Dunhuang rock color", gradually attracted the attention of the industry.

On the other hand, across the strait, y influenced by the culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties, Japan, for more than a thousand years, has always inherited and developed the mineral pigments used in Dunhuang mural paintings and technology, Dunhuang color gamut has been greatly expanded, Dunhuang mural copying has even become a mandatory course for students of the relevant colleges and universities. 1985, in the Dunhuang Academy at that time, the President of the Mr. Duan Wenjie and the President of the University of the Arts, Mr. Ikuo Hirayama *** with the promotion of the Dunhuang Academy. Mr. Ikuo Hirayama, President of the Tokyo University of the Arts, and Mr. Duan Wenjie, then President of the Dunhuang Academy, began frequent academic exchanges between the two institutions. With the return of scholars from Dunhuang Academy who studied in Japan, the mineral pigment process from China to Japan has returned to China, enriching and innovating the copying of Dunhuang murals and the inheritance of traditional culture.

Dunhuang Cultural Relics Research Institute employee Ouyang Lin in copying, 1984

Dunhuang Research Institute employee Lou Jie comrades in the 220th cave copying murals, 1986

rich colors, vivid forms, smooth lines, the divine mood ...... Dunhuang art of the continuation of a thousand years, the copying is to last for several thousand years. The copying of this Dunhuang art, which has lasted for a thousand years, is a century-long endeavor that will last for several generations. The Dunhuang Research Institute now has a Fine Arts Research Institute that specializes in mural copying, reproduction, and research of Dunhuang art. Their practice of copying and creation shows that copying is not just copying, but is also a dialogue between contemporary copyists and ancient painters through time and space, as well as the comprehension and innovation of oriental painting by generations of painters. Generations of art workers have worked tirelessly, savoring the soul of Oriental art for thousands of years and connecting the lifeblood of Chinese civilization. The vitality of Dunhuang art is presented through the copying and study of murals, and through the inheritance and innovation of tradition.

"Danqing Hui: Dunhuang Research Institute Training Young Artists' Works in Japan"

In July-August 2019, "Danqing Hui: Dunhuang Research Institute Training Young Artists' Works in Japan" opened in Mogao Grottoes, displaying rock-color paintings whose source is precisely the Mogao Grottoes The source of the rock color paintings on display is the traditional material process of Mogao Cave frescoes, while the screen paintings, silk paintings, fan paintings and other works start from the imitation of traditional paintings, showing their understanding and exploration of oriental art. Like many of the art workers at the Dunhuang Academy over the past 70 years, the young painters grew up in a time of diverse and open cultural exchange. Through their works, we can feel the renewal of Dunhuang's colors, glimpse the inheritance of traditional Chinese painting, and, more importantly, see that art can only thrive in the context of tradition, future-oriented inheritance and innovation, and multicultural exchanges and mutual understanding. And this is exactly where the mission of Dunhuang art lies.