壁画墓是中国具有悠久历史的墓葬形式,宋代以来仿木构砖雕壁画墓兴起,更将其推至艺术顶峰。然而进入明代后,壁画墓的数量却骤然衰减,成为艺术史研究关注的一个重要问题。明代墓室壁画这种骤然而非渐进式的衰落,促使本文跳出“内在理路”的解释方式,转而探寻干预墓葬艺术发展的外部因素。在重建礼制的时代背景下,明初颁布了大量与房舍相关的礼仪规范,它们不仅适用于地上建筑,也影响到作为“阴宅”的墓室。这些规范涉及房舍的形制、装饰各个方面,诸如重檐斗拱、壁画彩绘等仿木构壁画墓所要表现的内容,均在严厉禁止之列。在建造方面,具备一定艺术水准的壁画墓,必须要由分工明确的专业匠人完成,非普通人可以措手;然而明代前期沿袭匠户制度,对工匠的创作约束极严,而且明初还专门确立了“罪坐工匠”的处罚原则,以求从根本上防范“逾制”现象的发生。综合以上因素,本文认为明初严格的礼制规范与社会监控,是导致墓室壁画传统衰落最为直接的原因。这不仅是墓葬艺术史上的一大转折,而且为明初国家权力干预民间生活的深度,提供了很好的例证。 The mural tomb is a form of burial with a long history in China. Since the Song Dynasty, the fresco of mural brick murals has risen to the top of the art. However, after entering the Ming Dynasty, the number of mural tomb suddenly abated, became an important issue concerned with the study of art history. The sudden rather than gradual decline of the tomb murals of the Ming dynasty led the paper to jump out of the explanation of “internal logic” and instead explore the intervention of external factors in the development of tomb art. In the context of the reconstruction of the ritual system, a large number of etiquette norms related to premises were promulgated in the early Ming Dynasty. They not only applied to the above-ground buildings but also affected the tomb chamber as the “mansion”. These norms cover the shape of the premises and all aspects of decoration, such as the eave eaves brackets, mural paintings and other mural murals to be shown in the content to be strictly prohibited. In terms of construction, a mural grave with a certain artistic standard must be completed by a professional craftsman with a clear division of labor. Non-ordinary people can take measures. However, the system of pecking man was followed in the early Ming Dynasty and was extremely restrictive to the creation of artisans, and was also specifically established in the early Ming Dynasty In order to fundamentally prevent “overdone ” phenomenon. Based on the above factors, this article argues that strict rules of courtesy and social monitoring at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty are the most direct reasons leading to the traditional decline of tomb murals. This is not only a turning point in the history of tombs’ art, but also provides a good example for the depth of state power intervening in folk life in the early Ming Dynasty.