Qianlong and Yongzheng
standing, holding bamboo trees
1723-35
Artist: Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766)
Color on silk
Length: 68.8 cm.
Height: 6’ 3 ¼”; Width: 2’ 4 ¼”
Splendors of
China’s
Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign
of Emperor Qianlong
Splendors of China’s Forbidden City
is devoted to the long reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795). The
exhibition concentrates on Qianlong’s 18th-century period, the last
grand era of the Chinese empire. During his long reign, Emperor
Qianlong became the epitome of a great Chinese ruler, at once
all-powerful and civilized. The Chinese empire reached its largest
geographic spread under his rule, while life in China was both peaceful
and prosperous. The exhibition investigates how Qianlong achieved this
magnificent level. Politically adept, he recognized and supported all
facets of Chinese civilization. Although he was a Manchu and remained
proud of his nomad forebears, he cultivated the Han Chinese, who formed
the majority of the Chinese people. Like his predecessors, the Kangxi
and Yongzheng emperors, Qianlong carried out a balancing act between
his Manchu heritage and the culture of Han China, which the Manchu Qing
dynasty had conquered. (continued from the Curator’s essay: about the
exhibit and the art we will continue to see here:)
The Dallas Museum of Art
has chosen to display this exhibition as a series of fine art
works.Although the layout generally follows the themes of the
exhibition as
planned by the Palace Museum and the Field Museum, the flow of works in
the sections has been slightly changed to highlight significant works
for individual contemplation and appreciation. The rooms devoted to the
exhibition are large and space is given to major works, and a palette
of light, bright colors is used in the exhibition rooms, to echo the
light, color and grandeur of the Forbidden City. (note: we have limited
access to the exhibit — online resources only)
This section explores how Qianlong supported the various religions of
his empire. This is a rich and fascinating section, ranging from an
image of Sakyamuni Buddha to shamanic figures relating to native Manchu
religion. Taoism, as one of the most popular religions in China, is
represented by figures like the Thunder deity Zhang Jie and the
Immortal Marshall Wang Lingguam.
While all these diverse religious traditions are represented here, the
Tibetan Buddhism that Qianlong favored is the most prominent. There is
a large cloisonné enamel stupa and a rare set of Tibetan
Buddhist Buddha figures with Qianlong’s mark, exemplifying esoteric
Buddhism. The prominence of this kind of Buddhism at court is indicated
by the presence of several buildings devoted to Tantric Buddhism in the
Forbidden City, as well as by the painting in the exhibition of
Qianlong as the Bodhisattva Manjusri. (continued tomorrow)
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