The Great Victory of Qurman
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.In 1760 the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735–96) commissioned sixteen monumental paintings to commemorate his victories in the East Turkestan campaign for display in the Hall of Purple Splendor in the Forbidden City. One of them depicts the Battle of Qurman. Only the right-hand side of the painting and a fragment from the left have survived; this fragment has only recently been identified. The complete composition is preserved as an engraving, displayed to the right.
Painted by Jesuits in collaboration with Chinese artists, the fragment shows a well-organized formation of soldiers with camels and mules. The names of four officers are inscribed on the painting in gold Manchu letters.
Painted by Jesuits in collaboration with Chinese artists, the fragment shows a well-organized formation of soldiers with camels and mules. The names of four officers are inscribed on the painting in gold Manchu letters.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Great Victory of Qurman
- Artist: Unidentified artists European and Chinese
- Date: 1760
- Culture: China
- Medium: Fragment of a painting mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Overall (unrolled): 51 3/16 x 47 1/4 in. (130 x 120 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Lent by a Private Collection
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art