Chapter 13 Section 4 Miaojue Moves the Palace Wall

"Sunluo turns back to the earth's axis, wonderfully moves the palace wall", this is Du Fu's famous poem in praise of the murals of Xuanyuan Temple in Luoyang.It shows how splendid the murals of the Tang Dynasty are!It is a pity that these breathtaking murals have been destroyed.Fortunately, there are grotto murals far away in the border areas and tomb murals unearthed continuously, which can give us a glimpse of the murals of the Tang Dynasty. The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang preserve a large number of murals from the Sui and Tang Dynasties.The wide range of themes, the grandeur of the scenes, and the superb technique of expression are all unprecedented.The contents of the paintings are mostly the Sutra of Pure Land, depicting the Western Paradise of Paradise surrounded by auspicious clouds and blooming flowers.On the one hand, it shows the beautiful fantasy of ordinary people about the afterlife, and it is also a portrayal of the prosperous social life in the Tang Dynasty.For example, the Sutra of Viewing Infinite Life on the north wall of Cave 172, the Vimo Phantom on the front wall of Cave 103, and the Western Pure Land Bian in Cave 217.In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, such as the Laodu Chadou Shengbian in Cave 196 and the Huangpanian in Cave 158.In addition to Jingbian paintings, there are also pictures that are directly related to the real society.For example, the map of the governor’s wife in Taiyuan, Taiyuan, worshiping Buddha in Cave 130 and the travel map of Zhang Yichao in Cave 156, which deserve special mention.

After the Anshi Rebellion, Dunhuang was once occupied by the Tubo people. In 848, Zhang Yichao, the general of Shazhou (Dunhuang), led an uprising and drove away the Tubo guards.In Cave 156, which was excavated later, a large-scale mural painting of Zhang Yichao and his wife Song's trip was specially drawn for this purpose. "Zhang Yichao Commander's Travel Map" is 108 centimeters high and 138 centimeters long.In the painting, Zhang Yichao's red-robed white horse stands in the center, with flags, drums, dancers, civil servants and military generals leading the way in front, and guards escorting him behind. The scene is grand and vividly depicted.

In recent years, Shaanxi Province has the most unearthed Tang tomb murals.Among them, the most wonderful ones are the murals in the tombs of Li Shou, Prince of Huainan, Li Xian, Prince Zhanghuai, Li Chongrun, Prince Yide, and Li Xianhui (hui Hui), Princess Yongtai. Li Shou is the younger brother of Li Yuan, the great ancestor, and his tomb is located in Jiao Village, Sanyuan County, Shaanxi.The murals show scenes of the tomb owner's life during his lifetime, such as traveling, ceremonial guards, hunting, and halberds, as well as daily life scenes such as maids, handymen, shepherds, and water bearers."Travel Picture" has the largest scene, with a total of 24 horses and 48 people drawn. The team is strict and majestic.The ostentation and momentum of the prince's trip were well represented.

Li Xian is the second son of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and he was established as the prince.Later, he was demoted to a commoner because he opposed Wu's dictatorship, and died in Bazhou, Sichuan.After Emperor Zhongzong succeeded to the throne, he was buried in Qianling Mausoleum (the tomb of Wu Zetian is located in Qianxian County, Shaanxi Province). During Emperor Ruizong's reign, he was named Prince Zhanghuai.There are more than 50 groups of murals in its tomb, with a total area of ​​400 square meters.Among them, "Hunting Picture" depicts the grand occasion of the prince's hunting; "Guest Picture" depicts foreign envoys and several Tang Dynasty officials waiting for the prince to meet, presenting a friendly and harmonious atmosphere. "Polo Playing Picture" truly and vividly reproduces the popular polo playing activities in Tang Dynasty.The polo players wear narrow-sleeved gowns, black boots, and sticks in their hands, driving their horses to snatch the ball. The scene is vivid and lively.

Li Chongrun was the eldest son of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian. He was rode to death in Luoyang for stealing discussions about Wu Zetian.After Zhongzong succeeded to the throne, he was buried in Qianling.After the title of Prince Yide.There are more than 40 murals in its tomb.Such as "Painting Tower", "Picture of Guard of Honor", "Picture of Taming Leopard", "Picture of Erecting Eagle", "Picture of Figures with Halberds", "Picture of Maid", etc., show the life of the rulers at that time from different aspects. Li Xianhui was the seventh daughter of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian. She was also killed with a stick for stealing about Wu Zetian. Later, she was buried in Qianling at the same time as Li Chongrun's tomb, and she was named Princess Yongtai.There are also many murals in his tomb, among which "Picture of Palace Lady" is very outstanding.It depicts 16 maids accompanying the princess, who are arranged in two groups and lined up. They hold various utensils and walk quietly, as if they are afraid of waking up the princess's dream.The demeanor is calm and elegant, and the manner is solemn and quiet.

The author of the above Tang tomb murals is unknown. According to experts' inference, he is likely to be a master of court painters.The characters are full-bodied, and their expressions and movements are natural and vivid.The line is accurate, round and powerful.The coloring is bright and calm, luxurious but not gaudy, which is consistent with the painting style of the Tang Dynasty that we have seen and recorded.These murals provide extremely valuable historical materials for the study of the art, life, customs, costumes, and institutions of the Tang Dynasty.