The Battle at Elei Zhalatu: 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

The Battle at Elei Zhalatu: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of 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 across a rocky valley, arrows flying, banners snapping in the wind. This print was made for Emperor Qianlong to celebrate a real battle in what’s now Xinjiang. The emperor even wrote a poem at the top—his way of signing off on the victory. The scene mixes careful detail with drama, like a news report in ink. If you like these battle scenes, look up qing dynasty (1644–1911) for more art from the same era.

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 China's 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.