Tang Pictorial Study

Portrait painting of Tang dynasty is a figure of some character in real life in Tang dynasty, which had been a main embranchment of painting then. It is very important for the current creation of portrait painting to reveal its original status and developmental history as well as to sum up its artistic achievement and experience.Historical materials, especially updated archaeological results, newly found paintings in museum abroad and information of extant masterpieces were systemically collected and analyzed from the point of materialistic history and dialectic. Based on study of the previous, by verifying the literature and extant paintings each other, the paper aimed to reveal original status and developmental history of Portrait of Tang dynasty to promote research on painting history then as well as on its splendid artic achievement and precious experience, and thus to serve our character painting today.The paper is composed by four parts. The first one is to analyze and summarize characteristics and attributes of portrait painting of Tang dynasty, and on the basis of this to define the painting and subjects and scope of the research; The second one is to introduce general situation of painting of Tang dynasty through a great deal of historical literature and extant practical objects; In the third part, historical literature are systemically collected and compiled into scheduler tables, and a statistical chart about development history of the portrait painting was made based on these data. It shows the portrait painting had been popular on Tang dynasty. Royal portrait accounted for primary position and it went out of the palace and gradually became a part of folk painting. Social and historical factors as well as supporting factors of portrait theory and skill resulting in its developmental status and trend are also discussed. The last one is about historical advancement and attribution of portrait painting of Tang dynasty. Not only it establish and prosper in Tang dynasty but its principle, style, and apprentice system are followed by later generations, its artic achievement on theory and skill becoming foundation of later portraits and other paintings, both in China and other countries such as Japan and Shilla.