Battle at Heshi Kuluke: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with Imperial Poems

1770

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Romanticism 18th Century History Painting Qianlong Reign

Dominant colour

Battle at Heshi Kuluke: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with Imperial Poems is a 1770 by Jean Damascene Sallusti, a Romanticism work, depicting Qianlong Reign, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Jean Damascene Sallusti
When & what style?: 1770 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This etching shows soldiers on horseback in a dusty battle scene. The emperor himself wrote a poem to go with it, praising his troops. It’s one of many prints made to celebrate his victories. Emperor Qianlong wanted pictures of these fights to last. He paid an Italian artist to make the etchings in China. The poem adds a personal touch—it’s like his own battle review. Try looking up the Cleveland Museum of Art to see more of these prints.

The story of this work

Overview

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.