The Painting of the Armored Emperor Qianlong Inspecting the Troops

The Painting of the Armored Emperor Qianlong Inspecting the Troops

By Giuseppe Castiglione  Qing Dynasty

The painting of the Armored Emperor Qianlong Inspecting the Troops was one of the most important works of Giuseppe Castiglione. The painting of the Armored Emperor Qianlong Inspecting the Troops depicts the very scene of Emperor Qianlong’s inspecting parade in the southern suburbs of Beijing. Being armored and wearing swords, Emperor Qianlong rode on horseback, showing the pursuit of military spirit of Qing emperors. The work presented great concern for verisimilitude, with a strong touch of western painting. These realistic works are the most unique paintings in the imperial palace and leave us very reliable and irreplaceable historical visual information.