The Sistine Zenith Mural And The Mogao Grottoes Of Western Pureland Change Color Contrast Research

The Tang Dynasty’s Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang murals represents the best of Chinese mural art. Integrating on top of the Western painting style are the extensive cultural and historical background of China as well as the traditional Chinese painting and performance techniques resulting the formation of a national style characteristics of the murals. The Western Pure Land is the most prominent art forms of the Sui and Tang dynasties and a typical representative of the Chinese murals.During Renaissance, Europe calls for the liberation of the people as well as promoting their roles and values. In painting, artists are always seeking breakthroughs so as to achieve the pursuit of their own personal style. Michelangelo is a typical representative artist of that period as he spent more than four years alone to complete the work of the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes of which undoubtedly the representative art work of that era.Whether the murals of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Western Pure Land, or the Sistine ceiling frescoes, both of which have significant academic and artistic values. This paper will start on comparing and contrasting the characteristics and styles of the Chinese and Western religious murals, combined with the investigation of the effect of secularization of the two different religious cultures, and finally constructing an in-depth analysis of Michelangelo’s Sistine ceiling frescoes and murals in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in terms of their respective aesthetic and creative ideals and functions.The paper is divided into four parts:The first part describes the research background, key questions to address and then the thinking and researching process. The second part focus on detailing the main cultural background of the Sistine frescoes and Dunhuang Western Pure Land murals. The third part is the comparative analysis of the similarities and differences of the Sistine frescoes and Dunhuang Western Pure Land murals on the use of color. Finally, the fourth part will elaborate the analysis above but from the secular point of view trying to unveil the profound meaning of the use of color in these different religious cultures.Under the influence of very long though different cultural histories, both Chinese and Western art have over time developed their own unique national aesthetic awareness and artistic value. Outstanding art works of Chinese and Western murals of the Mogao Caves and that of the Sistine ceiling frescoes are both excellent examples and have both demonstrated specific cultural characteristics and styles. The comparison between the two different styles, is not a contest and competition, but of identification, understanding and appreciation. With in-depth analysis, the similarities and differences and hence the formation of their specificities can be unveiled and reviewed. The comparison and analysis in this paper tasked to serve as a channel, to understand the differences between these two mural cultures, and to promote mutual idea exchange and communication of both styles. To summarize, combining analyses from both religious secularization angle and investigating the similarities and differences on the use of color, this paper reveals the creative characteristics and the artistic value of the Sistine ceiling frescoes and the Western Pure Land murals.