Thematic and stylistic features of epic tradition in Mongolian painting

Abstract

Epic tradition is an essential part of Mongolian culture, influencing the artistic thinking and visual characteristics of Mongolian art. Its impact on the formation and evolution of painting, especially within the context of the Mongol Zurag style, has not been thoroughly explored in art history. The paper aims to identify and analyze the artistic strategies used in Mongolian paintings of the 20th and 21st centuries to embody epic heritage, and to understand the role of epic narra tives in shaping iconography, composition, and figurative systems. The research material consists of works by Mongolian artists of the 20th and 21st centuries that reveal epic archetypes and mythological imagery. These include: U. Yadamsüren’s “The Old Fiddler” (1958), D. Am galan’s “Red Dust” (1967), N.-O. Tsultem’s “The Call” (1976), M. Davaakhuu’s “Khuvisgalyn duulian” (1971), E. Purevjav’s “Gesar Khan on the Road” (2014), B. Shagdarsüren’s “Woman” (2015), and O. Myagmar’s “Mother” (1978). The study employs methods of iconological analy sis, comparative-typological approach, and principles of semiotics, which allowed us to reveal the relationship between the structure of epic narration and visual principles of Mongol Zurag. Results. It was found that the epic tradition in Mongolian painting has not only a narrative func tion, but also a structuring function. Epic archetypes – the rider-hero, the storyteller, the clan guardian, and the celestial maiden – form the foundation of the Mongol Zurag artistic language, where sacred and mythological elements are combined with the principles of decorative painting. In Mongolian art, the epic tradition emerges as a universal code of cultural memory, ensuring continuity and facilitating a dialogue between tradition and modernity.