Breaking Through the Siege at Hesui: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with imperial Poems
1770
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
1770
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Breaking Through the Siege at Hesui: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with imperial Poems is a 1770 by Giuseppe Castiglione, a Romanticism work, depicting Qianlong Reign, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This etching shows soldiers in armor storming a walled city. Smoke rises as they scale the walls with ladders. The emperor’s poem sits in the corner. It was made for Emperor Qianlong, who wanted art to celebrate military wins. Each print matches a poem he wrote himself. The style mixes Chinese ink with European etching. Look up the Qing Dynasty next.
This set of etchings was commissioned by Emperor Qianlong to record in pictorial terms the courage of his generals and soldiers in quelling the rebellions in the Western Regions. Qianlong added his own poem to each of the etchings, indicating his appreciation and pride in this demonstration of military might. "Western Regions" refers to the present-day Xingjiang province, often described in Western writing as "Central Asia."
Read the full account in the museum source.
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