The Making of the Illustrations of Victory in the Pacification of Dzungars and Muslims – the Story of the Art of French Copper Plate Engravings Made for the Emperor of China

EVENT DESCRIPTION

In 1764, the Jesuit painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766) was commissioned to prepare sketches for sixteen illustrations of Qing military conquests. These were sent to Europe on the orders of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–1796), eventually finding their way to France, where they were etched onto copper plates used for printing. It took twelve years and more than ten trips between China and France to produce sixteen prints, which were combined with a preface by the emperor and colophons by his officials into an album of thirty-four leaves. Using realistic methods of rendering perspective, the images within synthesised the arts of China and the West. Qianlong presented copies of the completed works to members of his family and the court. Others were sent to various palaces and government offices to spread the message of the empire’s martial prowess.

Copperplate printing continued to be used to commemorate subsequent victories. The original set serves as a pioneering example of how the Qing empire used the technologies of the West to commemorate and publicise its own achievements.

Speaker: Dr CHOU Wei Chiang, Curator, Hong Kong Palace Museum