Portrait of Emperor Qianlong

Author: Li Zhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: The name of the Qianlong Emperor was Hongli (1711—1799), the fifth son of Emperor Yongzheng, later recognized as the fourth son. His mother was Empress Xiaoshengxian, of the Niuhulu clan. In September of the 13th year of the Yongzheng era (1753), Hongli became the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty after the previous three emperors passed away. The following year, he changed the era name to "Qianlong." The Qianlong Emperor reigned for 60 years and abdicated at the age of 86, but in reality, he remained as the Taishang Huang (Emperor Retired) for over three years to maintain control over the imperial power. The Qianlong Emperor was a political leader with exceptional governance skills. During his reign, the Qing dynasty reached its zenith, with political stability, economic prosperity, strong military readiness, and flourishing culture. Unfortunately, in his later years, he relied heavily on Heshen, a powerful and corrupt official who wielded excessive influence, which not only marked a fatal flaw in his political career but also cast a shadow over the decline of the entire Qing dynasty. The Qianlong Emperor was an avid collector of ancient inscriptions and calligraphy. He often engaged in composing poetry while drinking tea and creating ink paintings to alleviate the pressures of court life. He was the most prolific emperor in terms of both painting and promoting the development of court painting. With his active participation and support, a large number of painters were summoned to the palace, including Western missionaries such as Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining), Ignatius Koi (Ai Qimeng), and Jean-Denis Attiret (Wang Zhicheng), as well as Chinese painters influenced by Western art like Zhang Weibang and Wang Ruxue. There were also numerous traditional Chinese painters such as Zhang Zongcang, Xu Sheng, and Jin Tingbiao. Their works primarily included historically significant realistic paintings, religious paintings that promoted the emperor's policies, decorative scrolls for palace decoration, and landscape and flower-and-bird paintings for the emperor's appreciation. Portraits of the emperor, created around his personal life, were also an important theme for court painters. Currently, there are approximately 80 preserved works depicting the Qianlong Emperor, such as his court attire portraits, leisure scenes, and religious paintings, making him one of the most frequently portrayed emperors in history.