The Mural Art in Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves
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The Mogao Caves,or Mogao Grottoes form a system of 492 temples 25 km(15.5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang,an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road.in Gansu province,China.The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years.The first caves were dug out 366 AD as places of Buddhist meditation and worship.The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and,along with Longmen Groltoes and Yungang Grottoes,are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China.The caves also have famous wall-paintings.
Mogao Caves are Famous for the colored sculptures and painted murals.The painted murals in the Mogao Caves form the world’s longest painted corridor,with a total of 45,000 square meters of painted murals.
Colored sculptures are the main part of Dunhuang art.They are rich and varied in form.The large range of subjects and the superb skill are good enough to serve as a model for colored Buddhist sculptures.They integrate statues with painted murals and have a high historical and artistic value.
The colored sculpture has a healthy body,deco rous appearance and simple style.The background color is dark red,plus other fresh colors.The color tone is strong and open.and The lines make people feel comfortable.It shows the feature of western Buddhism.The colored sculptures and painted murals contrast finely with each other,showing a beautiful scene.
Now please follow me to find out the artistic charm of the painted murals.The painted murals tell stories about sutra,scenery and pavilions,terraces and open halls.There are also some scenes about production or flower patterns.They show the folk customs of 18th century and the evolvement of Qing dynasty.They reflect the polity,economy and civilization in feudal society of China.From lots of painted murals,we know that ancient artists learnt the art merit of other countries such as India,Iran and Greece,and different dynasties showed different painting styles.It’s glorious history of art in china.
We can see many beautiful flying Apsaras in the painted murals everywhere.The representative outdoor sculpture of Dunhuang is also a flying Apsara playing Chinese lute.The flying Apsaras are the goddesses who serve Buddhas.They are good at dancing and singing.In murals,flying Apsaras are flying in the universe.Some of them are holding lotuses,soaring up to the sky;some of them flying through the storeyed buildings or swooping down from the sky. The artists used the special lines and harmonious interest and charm to show the graceful dream world.The gorgeous color,and lively lines reflect the artists’passion for the dream world.
