Giuseppe Castiglione (Jesuit painter)
Giuseppe Castiglione, S.J., was an Italian Jesuit brother and missionary in China, where he served as an artist at the imperial court of three Qing emperors – the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. He painted in a style that is a fusion of European and Chinese traditions.
One of the earliest known paintings by Castiglione in China in a blend of Chinese and European styles, 1723
The Empress Xiaoxianchun
Ruins of a structure at the Old Summer Palace
Linear perspective painting by Castiglione. (The Old Summer Palace museum collection)
The Qianlong Emperor, also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, personal name Hongli, was the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. He reigned officially from 1735 until his abdication in 1796, but retained ultimate power subsequently until his death in 1799, making him one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history as well as one of the longest-lived.
Portrait by Giuseppe Castiglione
Figurine of the three-year-old Qianlong Emperor having a bath. Artefact in Yonghe Temple, Beijing.
The young Qianlong Emperor as Prince Bao, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Inauguration Portraits of Emperor Qianlong and Empress, Cleveland Museum of Art.