Emperor Qianlong Enjoying the Snow

Giuseppe Castiglione (Lang Shining) and Court Painters

Overview

This monumental work depicts Emperor Qianlong and his sons enjoying the pleasures of family life. Under a gloomy sky where fresh snow has just ceased falling, verdant pines and bamboo stand in stark contrast against the white landscape, creating a vibrant atmosphere. On the twisting branches, red plum blossoms brave the cold in full bloom, drawing the eye.

Emperor Qianlong sits composedly on a folding chair beneath the veranda, holding a ruyi scepter. While admiring the snowy scenery beyond the room, he watches the princes—some lighting firecrackers, others building snow lions. His gaze is benevolent and his demeanor peaceful.

The composition, which includes the respectful standing princes and the palace maids holding fans behind the Emperor, collectively highlights a warm scene of tranquility, harmony, and familial joy.

Artistic Collaboration

Created in the third year of the Qianlong reign (1738), this painting is a collaborative effort between the Italian painter Giuseppe Castiglione (known in China as Lang Shining) and Chinese court painters Tang Dai, Chen Mei, Sun Hu, Shen Yuan, and Ding Guanpeng.

The facial features of Emperor Qianlong and the princes are rendered using Western techniques of chiaroscuro (light and shadow), displaying extreme proficiency, and are clearly the work of Castiglione. The remainder of the scroll was completed by the five Qing court painters. It stands as a rare and masterful example of the “fusion of Chinese and Western styles” from the Qianlong period.

Inscription: Signed “Respectfully painted by subjects Lang Shining, Tang Dai, Chen Mei, Sun Hu, Shen Yuan, and Ding Guanpeng in the Jiaping month of the Wuwu year of Qianlong (December 1738).” Seals: “Subject Shining” , “Respectfully Painted” .