These two paintings are originally located on the ceilings in Mogao Grottos. One is called “Three-Rabbit Fei Tian”, the other one is called “Lotus Fei Tian”. The paintings themselves have the size of 1.5 m × 1.5 m. The design is very clever, for both of them look like they are spinning. It has been well known that the western style oil painting usually express still objects, such as the still matters, portraits, scenery…. In these two paintings, the Chinese traditional painting skill is well used to demonstrate a dynamic picture. Both of these murals were made in mid-Tang Dynasty. The richness of the color and the delicate of the lines fully reflect the prosper economy, technique and art in that time. Once again, the Fei Tian features in both pictures are shown as black or at least brownish. As we have mentioned earlier, the change of the skin color was due to somewhat oxidation reaction of the original color. Moreover, they harmonically fit with the backgrounds.

admin :: Nov.23.2007 :: Uncategorized :: No Comments »

Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) has been commonly recognized as the most economically and politically prosperous time in Chinese history. However, when you look at the Fei Tian features painted in Tang Dynasty, you will surprisingly find out that they are most over-weighted. In the paintings, this over-weighted character was described as double or triple chins, some layers on tummy, and fatty but lovely hands and toes. You would not believe that people in Tang Dynasty thought an over-weighted female body was actually very beautiful. That was a remarkable aesthetic point of view. To think how many ladies were freed from the worry about their body shapes. Looking at the Fei Tian features in Tang Dynasty, you can tell there is content from inside on their faces. Over-weighted, yet beautifully, these Fei Tian features declared that it was more important to have a kind heart and peaceful mind, nothing else mattered. Who needed Feminism under that kind of social environment; who needed to be jealous of a skinny body; who needed to worry about their physical appearance at all?

admin :: Nov.06.2007 :: Uncategorized :: No Comments »