Taking the imperial city space as a clue: Interpreting the multiple meanings of court festival paintings in the Qianlong era

Abstract

Before photography was introduced to China, realistic paintings were used to record important events and festive scenes in the court. Chinese and Western painters were often recruited to create paintings that served the court, due to the Qing emperor’s strong interest in them. This study aims to analyze the artistic features and the emperor’s artistic taste in festival court paintings in Qing China, as well as the scenes and connotations depicted in these works. Five representative court paintings depicting the Spring Festival during the Qianlong period were selected as research objects. Space is the guiding logic of this research, moving from parts of the imperial city to a panoramic view. The inner courtyard of the palace, the palace garden, the outer court, and the entire imperial city and its suburbs are explored in sequence. The research results found that festival paintings during the Qianlong period were a combination of Chinese and Western painting techniques, verve and precise forms, calligraphy and imagery. They embody five main connotations: 1) Festival painting is a medium for the emperor to display his will and imperial power; 2) It implies similar festival customs and cultures shared by the court and the people; 3) It reflects the diplomatic relations during his reign; 4) It shows Qianlong’s good governance and the people’s prosperity and happiness; 5) It expresses nature’s and celestial phenomena’s affirmation of Qianlong’s imperial power. The festival paintings reflect ancient Chinese ideals of self-cultivation, family management, state governance, bringing peace to all under heaven, and the unity of heaven and man. By reconstructing the original context of Qing dynasty festival paintings, we find that the emperor sought to prove his orthodox status and achievements through various aspects.