Author/Wishing You a Happy Birthday
Ph.D. and Professor, Department of Art History, Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University
Datang culture is the golden age of Chinese cultural history, almost reaching the highest level in all aspects, with peaks lined up, forming high mountains, high mountains and long waters, setting an example for future generations, so that future generations can look up to the mountains and stop the scenery.
In terms of philosophical thought, the rise of Buddhism, the confluence of the three religions, and the self-development of various religions illustrate social civilization and self-confidence; literature, Tang poetry is extremely prosperous, prose and novels (legends) are also rising; artistically, music and dance, popularizing society; architectural art, grotto art, mausoleum art (see humble "Outline of the History of Chinese Mural Paintings", published by The Cultural Relics Publishing House in 1995), Arts and Crafts (see humble "Outline of the History of Chinese Arts and Crafts", published by Beijing Yanshan Publishing House in 2007), etc., have reached their peak; painting and calligraphy, Masters are like clouds, masterpieces are like rain, such as Yan Liben, Wei Chi Yi monk, Li Sixun father and son, Wu Daozi, Zhang Xuan, Zhou Fang, Sun Wei, etc., and so on.
Tang Yan Liben's "Step Map" part
The Sui and Tang dynasty examination system improved the cultural quality of Chinese, made Chinese society more civilized, more elegant, more poetic, more artistic, and also improved the cultivation of artists, thus improving the realm of Chinese art, making Chinese art more transcendent, and full of vitality and spirituality.
The Tang Empire was economically prosperous and culturally prosperous, the Silk Road (whether by land or sea) was more unimpeded, cultural exchanges with Korea, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Iran, Central Asia, Islam, Byzantium and other countries were more frequent, and envoys, merchants, monks, students, craftsmen, artists, etc. from all over the world flocked to the capital Chang'an (Xi'an), Luoyang and other metropolises.
During the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an was one of the largest cities in the world at that time, an international metropolis, and a cultural exchange center between China and foreign countries. As the capital of Luoyang, it is second only to Chang'an. The two capitals to the Tang Dynasty are the most important thousand-year-old capitals in China, Chang'an has 12 dynasties, Luoyang has 9 dynasties, is the ancient capital with the strongest accumulation of traditional Chinese culture, the most able to reflect the spiritual outlook of traditional Chinese culture, and also the place with the strongest determination of traditional culture, the two capitals can absorb, digest and transform all foreign cultures.
The Tang people were confident, interested in foreign cultures, and eclectic, for example, "Persian fever" was once popular in society, as Lu Xun said: "The Tang room has a lot of nonsense." This self-confidence promoted the continuous innovation of Tang Dynasty culture. Innovation leads to strength, Datang culture as a strong culture of the Eastern Empire, but also the most powerful place of cultural radiation, commanding the whole country, affecting the whole country, radiating in all directions, even as far as East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and other places.
It was in this social environment that Buddhist art in the Tang Dynasty developed. The Buddhist art of the Tang Dynasty was also comprehensively developed, reaching the highest level in all aspects, the highest peak in the history of Chinese Buddhist art, and also the golden age in the history of Chinese Buddhist art.
Indian Buddhism was introduced to China after the B.C., and it has been about 700 years since the Tang Dynasty, during which countless Chinese and foreign monks have waded through mountains and rivers, exchanged back and forth, worked hard, and translated and annotated. During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese Buddhism reached its peak, the main classics in the Indian Buddhist scriptures were basically introduced to China, the theoretical system of Chinese Buddhism was basically completed, the eight major sects of Chinese Buddhism were basically stereotyped, and Buddhism has been completely sinicized.
At the same time (the 7th century), Indian Buddhism declined (the rise of Hinduism), and as a result, China naturally became the center of Buddhism in the world. Coupled with the peak of Buddhist art in the Tang Dynasty, it is naturally also the center of Buddhist art in the world, and has a wide influence on Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Central Asia and other places.
The highest achievement of the Buddha statues in the Tang Dynasty was of course the first to promote the two capitals Chang'an and Luoyang, and the two capitals also ordered the whole country, which is a model (sample) of Buddhist art in the country. However, due to the subsequent war and chaos, the culture of the two capitals was destroyed, and we can only go to other provinces and remote areas today to search. That is to say, the central government influences the localities, such as the influence of the two capitals on Dunhuang, and Dunhuang can find the shadow of the art of the two capitals (relics).
Datang culture is divided into four periods: early, prosperous, middle and late.
In the early Tang Dynasty (618---704, 7th century), In order to consolidate political power, strengthen centralized power, and also began cultural construction, Tang Taizong Li Shimin implemented a series of policies conducive to socio-economic and cultural restoration and development, and reused talents, accepted advice like a stream, dared to let people speak, and quickly restored normal and developed Chinese society that had been in turmoil for hundreds of years (3---7th centuries), known in history as the "rule of Zhenguan".
Wu Zetian reigned for half a century (655---705), maintaining the situation of social development in the early Tang Dynasty, and was the transition from the early Tang To the Sheng Tang. Early Tang Dynasty nearly 100 years, in the inheritance of the late Southern and Northern Dynasties and Sui culture on the basis of the beginning of the construction of Datang culture, if the Southern and Northern Dynasties and Sui culture is the ancient style culture, then the early Tang culture is the classical culture, the early Tang classical culture is more mature than before, more realistic, more rigorous, more serious, more solemn, more official political color, the ancient style is simple and rigid, the classical exquisite and soft, the new dynasty new atmosphere, like the sunrise, vigorous.
The classical style of the early Tang Dynasty reminds people of European classicism, which coincides in many places, and in the history of Chinese and European art, classicism has appeared repeatedly every three to five years. If the Middle Ages are archaic, then the Renaissance (15th and 16th centuries) is classical, followed by Baroque (17th century) and Rococo (18th century). The same is true of ancient Greek and Roman art, as well as ancient styles (8th ---6th centuries BC), classical (5th century BC), Hellenistic (4th --- 1st century BC, some like Baroque), Romanization (--- 5th century BC, some like Rococo).
The most typical representative of early Tang Classicism is Yan Liben. Yan Liben (c. 601---673, 7th century) was a court painter of the early Tang Dynasty, a native of Lintong, Shaanxi, his father (Yan Bi) and brother (Yan Lide) were both court painters, and also responsible for the design of architecture and arts and crafts, which shows that Yan Lide and Yan Liben brothers came from an artistic family, with a family origin and profound education. The two brothers are inseparable, and Li Sizhen (a critic of the early Tang Dynasty) called it "difficult brother and difficult brother".
Yan Liben saw the painting of Zhang Monk in Southern Liang (Zhang Jia-like), "ten days do not leave, sleep under it", convinced, earnestly studied, he was developed on the basis of Zhang Jia-like, his painting can be described as a Zhang-like upgraded version of the early Tang Dynasty, is the Zhangjia-like classicism, so the art historian Pei Xiaoyuan at that time praised him as "blue out of blue and better than blue".
Yan Liben, as a political court painter, wanted to paint according to his orders and sing praises and praises, which made him very unhappy, he loved and hated painting, what he loved was that painting was his hobby ("what is good for sex, can not be abandoned in the end"), what he hated was that he had to paint according to his will, and he was very reluctant ("The business of squatting, insulting Mo Dayan"), so he was very entangled in his heart, and he could not paint if he wanted to paint, and he could not paint if he did not want to paint. In fact, turning over the history of Chinese and foreign painting, similar to the court painters are like this, although their professional and technical level is very high, but they can't help themselves, their hearts are insincere, and there are few great achievements, but painters like Yan Liben who can achieve great achievements are rare.
His existing works are all Song dynasty facsimiles, all of which are silk color, heavy color, more reliable mainly have "Emperor Map of Past Dynasties" and "Step Map", all of which are realistic and conveying, meticulous and rigorous, portraying psychology, expressing personality, full of drama, the whole look, solemn and serious, very mature, can be called a great masterpiece of realism, but also reflects the classicist style of official art.
Such works can also be found in the "Coronation of Napoleon" painted by the French classical master David, which is a masterpiece of realism and has high historical and artistic value. Yan Liben's two paintings are drawn with iron wire, smooth and flexible, soft and rigid, reflecting a high level of line drawing art. "The Emperors of the Past" is the treasure of the boston museum in the United States.
Part of Tang Yan Liben's "Imperial Diagram"
According to the literature, he also painted the "Hero Figure", "Bachelor's Figure", "Wei Zhengjin Zhi Tu", "Zhaoling Column Portrait Map", "Gong Tu", "Western Regions Map", "Foreign Figure", "Wang Xi Statue", "Sanqing Statue", "True Jun Statue", "Xuansheng Statue", "Vimal Jie Statue", "Guanyin Induction Statue", "Peacock Ming King Statue", etc., which shows that he often painted realistic political themes, and also painted Taoist statues (the Tang Dynasty Lijia Dynasty respected Taoism), but rarely painted Buddhist Buddha statues, but his classicist painting style had a great influence on the buddhist art of the early Tang Dynasty. He also rarely paints women, but there are several handmaidens in "Emperor Figures" who are well-drawn, playful and cute.
His painting of "Ling Yan Ge 24 Heroes" has now been lost, this painting was once lost in the folk, by the Song people You Shixiong, he has a lot of eyesight, love as fate, please Linyou County Ling Yan Mou (also surnamed Yan) to engrave this painting on the county school wall, and later the painting was lost, the stone carvings were left, only 2 pieces remained, only 4 portraits, now in the Shaanxi Linyou County Cultural Center.
This stone carved line painting is consistent with the above-mentioned Yan Liben's "Step Map" and "Emperor Diagram" painting style, all of which are standing portraits, little movement and stillness, but also realistic transmission of God, meticulous and rigorous, depicting psychology, expressing personality, very mature, but also drawn with iron lines, smooth lines, soft and rigid, showing superb line drawing art, a good embodiment of Yan Liben's classical painting style, can be seen as the "Hero Map" that has been lost.
Stone carved line painting "Hero Figure" part
Stone carved line painting "Hero Figure" part
He presided over the construction of the Zhaoling Project, painted the "Zhaoling Column Portrait Map", Zhaoling is a national key cultural relics protection unit, has not yet been excavated, the famous "Zhaoling Liujun" may be his design, but also realistic and conveying the gods, meticulous and rigorous, but also reflects his classical style.
ZhaoLing Liujun
The Tang Dynasty Zhang Yanyuan's "Records of Famous Paintings of Past Dynasties" says that Yan Liben once painted murals in the Ci'en Temple in Chang'an (there were also a large number of Tang Dynasty masters who painted murals in this temple, such as Yin Lin, Wei Chi Yisheng, Wu Daozi, Yang Tingguang, Zheng Qian, Bi Hong, Wang Wei, Li Guonu, Zhang Xiaoshi, Wei Luan, etc.), and it is very regrettable that all these murals have disappeared.
This temple pagoda is the famous Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda now has a lintel stone carving, the stone carving on the wired painting "Saying Map", there are two, one has architecture, one has no architecture, are realistic, rigorous, fine, mature, are iron line drawing, smooth and flexible, soft in the rigid, but also reflects Yan Liben's classicist painting style, as mentioned above, the ancient style is simple and rigid, classical exquisite and soft.
Stone carved line painting "Saying Map"
Among them, there are architectural "Saying Map", architectural straight line painting, figures with curve painting, contrasting with each other, complementing each other, and showing different textures very well. The fine realism of the building, the columns and beams and the arches, meticulous, and even the construction can be followed by drawings, are the precious materials for our study of Tang Dynasty architecture today.
The Buddha statue with the highest artistic level in the Tang Dynasty is of course the Buddha statue in the capital Chang'an, but the Chang'an Buddha statue has now disappeared, and we can only see some small Buddha statues today, of which the most typical and artistic level of the early Tang Dynasty Small Buddha statue is the small Buddha statue unearthed from Xi'an Baoqing Temple, all of which are high reliefs of one Buddha, two bodhisattvas, three statues, stone, are the first Tang Dynasty Wu Anniversary (684-704, late 7th century and early 8th century) system, unearthed a batch, are collected in Japan, the United States, this batch of Early Tang Dynasty Small Buddha statues are very mature, very realistic, very exquisite, It shows the royal orthodox artistic style, the artistic level is extremely high, and it is a typical classicist style. After Yan Liben, these small Buddha statues were influenced by Yan Liben's classicist painting style.
Relief of Baoqing Temple in Xi'an, now in Japan
Statue of Guanyin, early Tang Dynasty, now in the United States
The greatest representative work of early Tang Buddhist art in China is the Big Buddha of Longmen Fengxian Temple in The Eastern Capital Luoyang, which is also the symbol of the Longmen Grottoes, and almost half of the Statues of Longmen are works of the Early Tang Dynasty. If Yungang represents the art of the Northern Wei Dynasty, then the Dragon Gate can represent the art of the Early Tang Dynasty.
There are 9 statues in Fengxian Temple, 1 Buddha, 2 disciples, 2 bodhisattvas, 2 heavenly kings, 2 lux, all of which are more than 10 meters high, the big Buddha is 17 meters high, the bodhisattva is 13 meters high, and the heavenly king and lux are 10 meters high, all of which are magnificent and magnificent. Buddhas and bodhisattvas are kind and wise, looking down and smiling, the kings and warriors are mighty and majestic, angry, contrasting with each other, complementing each other, complementing each other, and each has its own personality. The whole look is realistic, exquisite and rigorous, very mature, very solemn, reflecting Yan Liben's early Tang Dynasty classicism style.
Longmen Grottoes
The Chu Tang Bodhisattvas in other caves (such as Qianxi Temple, Huijian Cave, Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave, Ji nan Cave, etc.) are also very beautiful, standing in the pavilions and jade, moving in silence, reminiscent of the palace girls in Yan Liben's paintings, and also the classical mood of Yan Liben's early Tang Dynasty. The Longmen Chu Tang Buddha statue is slightly earlier than the above-mentioned small Buddha statue of Xi'an Baoqing Temple, which is not as exquisite and rigorous as the Xi'an Small Buddha statue, but both reflect the classical style of the Early Tang Dynasty.
As mentioned above, although Yan Liben rarely painted Buddhist Buddha statues, his classical painting style had a great influence, coupled with official support and vigorous promotion, it will naturally become popular throughout the country. Just as the art historian Yan Wei (a monk) at that time (early Tang Dynasty) praised Yan Liben: "Xuezong Zhang (Zhang Shengxuan), Zheng (Zheng Fashi, Sui Dynasty painter), strange and endless, changing the ancient image of the present, the world takes the rules", "the world takes the rules" is the model (sample) of the early Tang Dynasty, affecting the whole country.
Longmen Grottoes Lushena Buddha
The Dragon Gate Buddha is dressed in a transparent pattern, as if out of the water, is influenced by the Indian Mathura Buddha statue, whether it is the Kushan Empire (1---3 centuries), or the Gupta Dynasty (4---7th century, called "post-Mathura") were introduced to China through the southeast sea route, first to the capital of the Six Dynasties Nanjing, and then from Nanjing to the north, to the whole country, to East Asia (see the humble work "Nanjing is the most important source of Chinese Buddha statues before the Tang Dynasty", published on the website of the Chinese Cultural Foundation).
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhist art was deeply influenced by Yan Liben's classicism. Dunhuang is no exception.
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