SPECIFICITY OF POLYCHROMY OF ANCIENT FRESCO WALL PAINTING OF CHINA

The topic of the research is related to the peculiarities of the coloring of Chinese wall paintings in ancient tombs. The specific role of colors in the scenes of frescoes of ancient burials and their symbolic meaning are analyzed. On the example of an ancient funerary wall painting, changes in colors, the symbolic role of colors in the depiction of sacred figures, mythical creatures, and secular subjects are traced. Thus, it is argued that in the ritual fresco wall painting, specific coloristics were used along with specific figurative means and composition. The analysis of ritual and secular wall paintings in ancient Chinese tombs and in the sanctuaries of the Dunhuang Buddhist complex testified to the commonality of phenomena that can be characterized as follows. 1. There is a departure from conventional limited polychromy with the dominance of color spots of bright colors of large size to a detailed image with a large number of complex colors and small color spots. In this way, there is a departure from a large scale, expressed through elements and color spots, to a small scale with a large number of detailed color images. 2. In the process of development of artistic techniques, the color palette and methods of applying colors expand and become more complicated. 3. There is detailing of figures and facial features. 4. Secular plots appear along with purely ritual ones. 5. After the spread of Buddhism borrowed from India as a result of the religious syncretism of Buddhism with Taoism and Confucianism, Taoist images are also found in Buddhist murals.