A young emperor sits armoured on a white horse and looks straight out of the picture, the review halted so the painting could get him exactly right.
The Grand Review portrait shows the Qianlong emperor in the full regalia of a Manchu ruler inspecting his troops, a blend of Chinese court painting and the tighter perspective learned from Jesuit artists at his court. It is power staged as biography.
The Palace Museum in Beijing keeps the scroll. It is less a likeness than a claim: that the ruler who governed from the desk also commanded the field, and wanted both recorded.
Object details
| Name | Qianlong at the Grand Review (乾隆皇帝大阅图) |
|---|---|
| Artefact no. | — |
| Technique | Ink and colour on silk |
| Period | Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (18th c.) |
| Collection | The Palace Museum, Beijing |
| Source | 北京故宫博物院 |
Image © The Palace Museum, Beijing. See the original in the museum collection.