The Problem of the portrait art in mural painting of Central Asia in the 10–11th cc.

The Problem of the portrait art in mural painting of Central Asia in the 10–11th cc.

Nikolai Pchelin and Maria Rudova

(53rd Annual Meeting of the PIAC, St. Petersburg 2010)

One of the most difficult problems in the studies of the Medieval art of Central Asia is the examination of portraits. The research of the murals, which date back to the 10–11th cc. and survived till our days, allows to make a conclusion that the Academy of painting and design — Cao-hua-yuan (Dunhuang, 10th c.) played the leading role development of portrait art in the Buddhist monasteries of the Turfan oasis.