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A military review

Unknown

1880

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Kangxi Reign

Dominant colour

A military review is a 1880 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, depicting Kangxi Reign, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1880 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a busy scene with lots of people in bright, colorful clothes. Some are on horseback, others stand in groups, and a few hold flags with writing on them. In the middle, soldiers ride tigers with shields that look like faces. Upstairs, a few people watch from a balcony, and a musician plays a wind instrument. The flags have Chinese characters, and the setting looks like a palace or fort. The bright blues and reds stand out against the lighter background. Look up more about the kangxi reign next.

The story of this work

Overview

The painting depicts a rectangular scene of a military review, showing two groups of figures: one in yellow with blue shields and another on white horses, both performing before a seated figure in a blue building. It was originally part of an album containing thirty-five paintings of various processions, including funerals, marriages, official reviews, and legal court scenes. The full series is cataloged under accession numbers D.2-1898 to D.36-1898 and was acquired from Parsons & Sons in 1898.

Read the full account in the museum source.