The Ceremonial Weaponry & A Female Dancer in Red

Tomb mural paintings have become invaluable for studying Tang Dynasty art. These chronologically-dated, authentic works provide a reliable basis for identifying and understanding the evolution of painting during this period.

Murals from Chang'an tombs of high-ranking officials and imperial family members trace subject matter changes from the 7th to 9th centuries. Princess Changle's tomb even shows diverse painting styles coexisting as early as the 7th century. And the tombs of Crown Princes Yide, Zhanghuai, and Princess Yongtai offer the best examples of stylistic shifts in court painting in the early 8th century.

These tomb discoveries have shed significant new light on the complexity and development of Tang Dynasty painting.

Tang Dynasty (618-907) Mural painting in tomb of Zhishi Fengjie, Xi'an, Shanxi Province.

Tang Dynasty (618-907) Mural painting in tomb of Princess Minle.

This piece is compiled from the Chinese edition of Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting by Foreign Languages Press and Yale University Press, translated by Chen Ying.