The Research on the Origin and Communication of Blue and Green Colors in Chinese Blue and Green Landscape Painting

Abstract

Blue and Green landscape painting is an important component of Chinese landscape painting. The purpose of this paper is to explore the origins of blue and green colors in blue and green landscape painting and search for the reasons for the establishment of the blue and green landscape painting's style. Today's many researchers identify the murals of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves as the original form of Chinese Blue and Green Landscape Painting, and the Mogao Caves' painting style was significantly influenced by Indian Buddhist art. This paper employs a research approach that compares the stylistic convergence of early Chinese and Western Buddhist artworks. By combining the study of the trade history of the Silk Road, which helped spread Buddhism, and analyzing the origins of blue and green pigments, this paper finds that the use of blue and green colors showed signs that they spread with Buddhist art. The conclusion is that the earliest blue and green color in Chinese Blue and Green Landscape Painting originated from the Buddhist art in the western part of China and spread with Buddhism to the east China.