A Comparative Study Between Kizil Cave Paintings In Xingjiang And The Mural Paintings At Santa Maria Antiqua In Rome: Analysis Of Eastern And Western Frescoes Circa 7th Century C.E

Most prominent among the art produced by the Kucha Kingdom between the 3rd and 14 th centuries C.E., the Kizil cave paintings blossomed during the 3rd and 8th centuries C.E. Elaborating on their foundations in the Indo-Greek culture, the creators of the Kizil cave paintings synthesized aesthetic influences from Greco-Roman, IndoBuddhist, Islamic and Chinese artistic styles. These stylistic innovations embodied by the Kizil cave paintings gradually faded into obscurity as a result of cultural assimilation, pressure from religious and political opposition, and destructive effects of war. In addition to being a fundamental segment of China’s artistic heritage, these distinctive styles are also a cultural legacy to be shared among a multitude of ancient cultures.The world rediscovered the Kizil Cave Paintings when a European archaeological expedition excavated these murals in Xinjiang over a century ago and brought pieces back to their respective countries. From the 1920’s until the present, continuous research has been conducted on the Kucha culture for almost a century. Such research has been performed primarily within the framework of archaeology, history, religion, anthropology, etc. However, the paintings within these caves have less frequently been studied from the perspective of artistic executions and techniques.This dissertation is intended to be an in-depth comparative study of the Kizil Cave Paintings and the contemporaneous early Byzantine murals inside the church of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome. The analysis of materials used, painting processes, and techniques employed in both murals, can accentuate the accomplishments of both Eastern and Western mural paintings during the early medieval period. Such a comparative study will broaden the avenues of study and allow for a comprehensive understanding of their respective contributions to the development of the world artistic heritage.Circa the 7th century C.E., artistic accomplishments of both the Kizil Cave Paintings and the murals within the church of Santa Maria Antiqua were achieved by leveraging existing mature artistic foundations to conceive of innovative, vivid styles distinct from those prevalent during earlier periods. This dissertation performs an evaluation from an aesthetic and technical standpoint of a number of pieces representing “the most exuberant period” of Kizil paintings, as well as “the first golden age” of Byzantine art. Similarities and differences in various techniques and materials were explored, such as variations in materials used in the plaster, composition of ingredients used in pigments, processes used in painting, configuration of subjects, approaches to brush strokes, etc. Such a comparison uncovers the similarities and differences in aesthetical ideals and technical standards embodied in Eastern and Western mural paintings, revealing the relationship between the developmental paths of early medieval Western and Eastern mural art. Through this comparative study, the Kizil Cave Paintings can be further cemented in the field of artistic study.This dissertation is possibly the first comparative analysis between the Buddhist Kizil Cave Paintings in Xinjiang and its historical contemporary, Byzantine murals of the Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome. Although the Buddhist Kizil Cave Paintings and the Byzantine murals of Santa Maria Antiqua were conceived under significantly different social and religious contexts, each with vastly dissimilar aesthetic standards, they share comparable painting techniques and employ similar base materials for colors and plaster mixture. Furthermore, both of these murals were fundamentally influenced by the Hellenistic tradition. These differences and similarities allow for a comprehensive evaluation of their respective painting techniques and procedures, from which the following conclusions will be established:(1) Broader cultural and religious developments are accompanied by analogous changes in artistic styles. The mutual exchange of artistic ideals between civilizations is a timeless principle that has been governing interaction between cultures from time immemorial until the present, transcending historical periods, cultural spheres and geographic locations. As human civilization progresses, this principle inescapably repeat itself under various manifestations, of which the Kizil Cave Paintings and the Byzantine murals of Santa Maria Antiqua are but one instance.(2) The artistic techniques employed and the aesthetic standards applied in the Kizil Cave Paintings during the early medieval period rivals those found in contemporary European murals, thereby elaborating on the assertion made by professor Mario Bussagli in his book, “Central Asian Paintings” that “The Kucha Paintings are really one of the high points of all Central Asian art.” In fact, Kucha artistic is not only one of the high points of Central Asian mural art, but also one of the high points of world mural art during the early medieval period.