Essay: Murals, Introduction
Mural Main PageThe Difference Between Tibetan Mural Painting and European Fresco Painting
Tibetan mural painting and European fresco painting are two different forms of art that developed independently, each with their own unique style, techniques, and cultural significance.
Tibetan mural paintings primarily focus on Buddhist deities, religious figures, and stories from Buddhist scriptures, life story of Shakyamuni Buddha, jataka and avadana tales. Other images can be highly symbolic, often incorporating intricate depictions of mandalas and complex deities. There's a great emphasis on the spiritual significance of each element in the painting, and it often serves as an aid for meditation or religious instruction. For example the murals inside the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, feature numerous Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and scenes from the Jataka tales (stories about the previous lives of the Buddha).
European fresco paintings vary widely in subject matter, depending on the era. Frescoes from the Renaissance might depict religious themes like biblical scenes, saints, and the life of Christ, but also classical mythology, history, or daily life. There's a greater emphasis on the individual human experience, realism, and linear perspective, which was a major innovation of the Renaissance. For example, Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City is a well-known fresco depicting a biblical scene.
With Tibetan mural paintings, they are often highly stylized and generally lack the perspective found in European art. Figures are often depicted in a flat manner with bright, bold colors, depending on the particular style, time and region. The size of a figure in the mural most often signifies its spiritual importance, with larger figures being more significant.
With European fresco painting, frescoes are created by applying pigment to wet plaster, allowing the painting to become part of the wall itself. This technique requires swift work and careful planning. European frescoes, especially those from the Renaissance period, are renowned for their use of depth, perspective, and realistic depiction of light and shadow.
Tibetan murals paintings can have a didactic function, teaching viewers about Buddhist philosophy and morality. They also serve a devotional purpose and the very creation considered as part of the religious practice itself. For most, the purpose is for accumulating merit, for others creating these murals is a form of meditation and spiritual devotion. Wealthy patrons play are large role in both temple and mural creation as an act of generating merit and often as a display of wealth and power.
European frescoes often had both decorative and instructional functions, educating viewers about religious stories or moral lessons. During the Renaissance, they were also a way for patrons to display their wealth, power, and intellectual sophistication.
For both traditions there were many different periods, regions and local styles which also influenced the appearance and development of Tibetan murals and European frescoes.
Shinzo Shiratori, 6-2023
(The images below are only a selection of examples from the Mural Main Page).
