Portraits of Emperor Qianlong, the Empress, and Eleven Imperial Consorts

Giuseppe Castiglione (郎世寧), 1736 – 1770
Portraits of Emperor Qianlong, the Empress, and Eleven Imperial Consorts, Giuseppe Castiglione (郎世寧)
Portraits of Emperor Qianlong, the Empress, and Eleven Imperial Consorts, zoomed in
53.80 cmPortraits of Emperor Qianlong, the Empress, and Eleven Imperial Consorts scale comparison1154.50 cm

Portraits of Emperor Qianlong, the Empress, and Eleven Imperial Consorts is a Qing Dynasty Ink and Silk Drawing created by Giuseppe Castiglione (郎世寧) between 1736 and 1770. It lives at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the United States. The image is in the Public Domain, and tagged Royalty, Family and Emperors. SourceDownloadSee Portraits of Emperor Qianlong, the Empress, and Eleven Imperial Consorts in the Kaleidoscope

This extraordinary scroll was painted over the 34 year reign of Emperor Qianlong. Giuseppe Castiglione began the scroll, painting the emperor, empress, and his first consort, and the scroll was completed in stages by other artists from the emperor’s court. It is read from right to left, beginning with the emperor himself, followed by the empress, then his eleven ‘consorts.’ It’s a strangely familial portrait, with a quiet tenderness in the faces. It’s clear that Qianlong felt a sense of peace and pride in the decades-long artwork, titling it “Mind Picture of a Well-Governed and Tranquil Reign.” From the seals on the scroll, we know that in his old age, after stepping down from the throne, Qianlong opened his scroll to meditate on his life and loves.

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