In the last of this series about Dunhuang we get to meet the Chinese artists and archeologists who have dedicated their lives to preserving and recording the works at Dunhuang.
These include artists who, starting shortly after WWII, began making copies of the murals, some of whose work is now the only record we have of great works of art, which have gradually faded away with time.
Some of these artists, like Zhang Daqian, went on to become some of the greatest Chinese artists in the modern period. Others, more humbly used their talents to make a record of the paintings.
We also see the conservation works that are now in place to slow the hand of time, which will surely erase these wonderful works in the end, but whose artistry can still inspire the coming generations.
The series has provided a very useful look at various aspects of the Magao Cave complex that often go unnoticed, and has deepened our understanding of the greatest concentrated artistic output in mankind’s history.
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