「Look at the Picture and Talk about the Painting」Chinese and Western Murals: One Wall for Cultivating the Mind, One Wall for Observing the World

On one side is the serene cloister of the San Marco Monastery in Florence, and on the other is the Tang Dynasty mausoleum beneath the loess of Shaanxi. The murals from the East and the West have engaged in an inter-temporal dialogue about “spiritual introspection” and “worldly hustle and bustle”.

The Monastery of San Marco: A Sanctuary of God, an Inward Narrative of Faith
In 2005, Chen Danqing and I visited the Monastery of San Marco for the first time. Our tour route followed the cloister of Saint Antonio. The frescoes, serving the inner contemplation of the Dominican monks, were painted by Fra Angelico with a restrained yet not monotonous, vivid yet not flamboyant palette. He pioneered the theme of “sacred dialogue”, creating a realm for spiritual communication among religious figures. By minimizing visual impact, he guided the monks to achieve a spiritual resonance with their faith in a life of poverty and tranquility, highlighting the pure religious aesthetic of the early Renaissance.

The Shaanxi History Museum: Underground Paintings, Vivid Portraits of Everyday Life
In 2017, when I visited the Shaanxi History Museum, I was deeply impressed by the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty tomb murals. The “Hunting Procession” mural, with its panoramic composition, vividly recreates the imposing scene of a noble hunting expedition in the Tang Dynasty. The “Court Ladies” mural, with its delicate brushstrokes, captures the graceful and radiant postures of the maidservants. The sharp and vigorous iron-line drawing technique, combined with the steady and bright mineral pigments, freeze-frame the warmth and order of everyday life.

One simple and one elaborate, one static and one dynamic, one bearing the weight of faith, the other inscribing the splendor of the times, together they form the artistic treasures of ancient human murals, telling of the unique interpretations of art by different civilizations.

The tea for today is all gone. Next time, I’ll brew a fresh pot and enjoy art with you again.