Battle at Tunggushi Luke: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of the 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 Tunggushi Luke: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of the Rebellions in the Western Regions, with Imperial Poems is a 1770 by Unknown, a Romanticism work, depicting Qianlong Reign, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

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

About this work

You see soldiers on horseback charging through a rocky pass, arrows flying, banners snapping in the wind. This print was made for an emperor. Qianlong added his own poem to the scene, turning a battle into a story of loyalty and power. The artist worked from sketches by European missionaries, so the faces and shadows look different from traditional Chinese art. Look up *qianlong reign (1736–95)* to see how emperors used art to shape history.

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.