Mural duty

The reproductions brought about a noticeable improvement in the appreciation and saleability of Zhang's art. And this influence is still apparent today, most often manifested in soaring auction prices for his works.

One of Zhang's Dunhuang reproductions which depicts a reclining Guanyin bodhisattva (Goddess of Mercy) and has pigments containing gold powder sold for 101 million yuan ($16 million) at a Beijing auction in December.

The painting was sold by a Chinese-American art collector and the ongoing national museum exhibition shows a reproduction of a similar composition.

Wei Xuefeng, a researcher at the Sichuan Museum, says the painting is a representative piece in Zhang's outputs depicting Guanyin. "It was heavily colored and drawn on traditional linen cloth of fine quality.

"The five lamas shared their vast experience of thangka painting with Zhang, such as the techniques to make vivid, long-lasting pigments. Therefore, the reproductions recreate the refined texture of the murals, and the colors still appear well-preserved to audiences today."

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