The "Dunhuang Experience" in the Early Practice of Nationalization of Chinese Oil Painting

This study examines the "Dunhuang experience" in the early practice of nationalizing Chinese oil painting. It explores the formation of a national artistic language for Chinese oil painting in the first half of the 20th century, primarily in the context of the reception of Western painting, northwestern studies, and Chinese artists' engagement with the artistic heritage of Dunhuang. The author examines in detail aspects of the topic, including the influence of the slogan of national salvation and the idea of cultural self-strengthening on the development of Chinese art, the emergence of the trend of "spreading Western painting to the East," early attempts to nationalize oil painting, and the role of Dunhuang murals in the formation of new artistic approaches. Particular attention is paid to the work of Li Dinglong, Chang Shuhong, Dong Xiwen, and other artists who, through studying and copying the frescoes of the Mogao Grottoes, sought to combine the technique of European oil painting with traditional principles of Chinese art, including linear form modeling, decorative color, and spiritual and figurative expression. The research methodology is based on historical, cultural, comparative art, and formal-stylistic analysis. The study examines artistic practices, textual sources, and specific works of Chinese oil painting from the 1930s and 1940s. The novelty of the study lies in its identification of Dunhuang as a key artistic source for the early nationalization of Chinese oil painting. The main findings of the study are as follows. First, the Dunhuang expeditions of the 1930s and 1940s facilitated the transition of Chinese artists from a simple perception of Western painting to its independent national adaptation. Second, the murals of the Mogao Caves provided artists with a comprehensive system of expressive means, including linear form modeling, decorative color, rhythmic organization of silhouette, and spiritual and figurative expressiveness. Third, turning to the Dunhuang heritage allowed for the integration of oil painting techniques with traditional principles of Chinese art. The author's special contribution is the revelation of the connection between the Dunhuang heritage, northwestern sketches and the formation of the national identity of Chinese oil painting.