Abstract: The scholarly community has yet to reach a consensus on the authenticity of Zhang Daqian’s copies of frescoes from the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and the path of their circulation. This interview revolves around the Fenben (粉本) created by Zhang Daqian at Dunhuang and compares the concepts of Fenben and the manuscripts. Through dialog, this article discusses the role and function of the Fenben (粉本) concept in traditional Chinese painting. It is hoped that through this interview, the two concepts of Fenben and manuscript can be identified and traced back to their origins and, at the same time, trigger an in-depth academic discussion on the circulation of Zhang Daqian’s works copied at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.

Abstract: This study examines Zhang Daqian’s copies of the Dunhuang Frescos and their circulation and analyses the historical designation of the concept of manuscripts and its evolution. In the existing research, there have been different views in academic circles about whether the works copied by Zhang Daqian at Dunhuang belong to the Fenben (粉本) or line drawing form of the manuscripts, and there is still some disagreement about whether these manuscripts were copied by Zhang Daqian himself or not. In this thesis, we discuss the characteristics of Zhang Daqian’s drawings copied at Dunhuang, including brushstrokes, colors, and numbering. We also verify the concepts of “drawing sample” and “Fenben” in ancient Chinese painting and conclude that the copied works belong to the Fenben form. This study provides a reference for Zhang Daqian’s copies in Dunhuang and their circulation path.

Abstract: The patterns and characteristics of mountains have appeared in portraits since the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The patterns of mountains in the Han dynasty depicted the real world, expressed reverence and belief in the immortal realm and were in a transitional stage of aesthetic consciousness in the metaphysics of mountains and forests. The mountains in the realistic landscape reflect life and aesthetically reflect the ideal schema of heaven and earth. Ritual symbols use fixed patterns of mountains, hunting, and war to depict the rituals of offering sacrifices to the heavens and mountains, as well as the bestowal of divine orders and mountain sacrifices. Famous mountains and rivers were the places where immortals lived in the popular imagination of the Han Dynasty. The belief in “immortality” formed two major mythological systems in the east and west, represented by the “Kunlun Mountains” and the “Three Mountains on the Sea,” which gave rise to a series of mountain patterns associated with each mythological system. In the context of etiquette and symbolism, the Han Dynasty depiction of mountain patterns developed into diversified forms, reflecting the traditional Chinese natural aesthetic approach in which “landscape painting expresses the artistic conception of the Tao through formal beauty.”