Research On Daoist Figure Painting In Tang Dynasty

The Tang dynasty is one of the most glorious dynasties in Chinese art history as painting art got great development in the Tang dynasty. Painting in the Tang dynasty is in the transition period changing from religion to literature, in which religious painting plays an important role. At this time, the governor supported Daoism and developed the Daoism painting. Many subjects of Daoism painting began in the Tang dynasty, to which Daoist priest painters and other painters have made tremendous contributions. The article will combine the Tang dynasty with the Daoism and figure painting and study on painters of Daoism figure painting in Tang dynasty, paintings and reasons for prosperity.The writer will mainly sort out and analyze painters and paintings of Daoism figure painting in Tang dynasty according to the history. Daoist priest painters and the other painters have contributed a lot to the Daoism and secular painting. Article will take Daoist priest Chengzhen Sima for example and clear his contribution up to formulating The Five Holly Mountains of Gods portrait,and analyze his influences on Daoism figure painting from pictures in Sangqing shidichen tongbozhenren zhentuzan.The article will also discuss painters’ affects on Daoism figure painting based on the analysis of pictures in Five Planets and Twenty-eight Lunar Mansions. Painters learn the painting characteristics from Buddhism and Taoism,and draw more beautiful paintings by transforming Taoist scriptures. Finally, article will explore reasons for prosperity of Taoism figure painting in three aspects: social background,creative features, painting ideology.Although painting in Tang dynasty is not the most glorious in Chinese painting history and there are not lots of preserved works so far, Daoism figure painting and Daoist priest painters, the development of secular painting in Tang dynasty interact on each other,and have promoted mutually. Painting in Tang dynasty also lay practical and theoretical foundations for later painting development.