During the rule of the Qing Dynasty, they maintained their traditional Manchu spirit while assimilating aspects of Confucius culture in their imperial portraits in an attempt to link themselves to the rulers of past dynasties of China; to become part of the lineage as opposed to being depicted as a foreign rule. Traditionalists at heart, it was deemed important to maintain certain aspects of Manchu traditions to avoid offending their ancestors whom they believed had the power to ensure their rule was overthrown. This is evident in the portraits of the Qing Emperors through the incorporation of traditional Chinese imperial symbols and colour with elements of traditional Manchu values and costume. After years of isolationism, the Qing dynasty
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I have selected these pieces as I believe they individually convey a mix of different concepts and influences such as Confucian and Buddhism. The philosophy of Buddhism had been highly controversial in China previously to this point, as it was seen as damaging to the Confucian based society. The depiction of the Emperor as a ‘Boddhisattva’ a term given in Buddhism to beings who had attained enlightenment is extremely important as evidence of the social changes brought about by the Qing Dynasty. The Portrait of the Kangxi Emperor in Court dress depicts the first Qing emperor to be dressed in the traditional Chinese imperial yellow ceremonial robe with the Manchu pleated skirt and horse hoof flared cuffs to symbolise their equestrian background. Similarly, the Qianlong emperor in ceremonial armour on horseback conveys the same Manchu concepts including embedded characteristics of western paintings such as its three-dimensional perspective and colouring. Western thoughts were disregarded in China through their feelings of superiority. It was not until missionaries entered China with artworks during the Qing dynasty that Western ideas were included inj Chinese art. The portrait of the Qianlong emperor was partly created by an Italian Jesuit artist by the name of Giuseppe Castiglione, who was invited to work alongside Chinese painters by Emperor
I have selected these pieces as I believe they individually convey a mix of different concepts and influences such as Confucian and Buddhism. The philosophy of Buddhism had been highly controversial in China previously to this point, as it was seen as damaging to the Confucian based society. The depiction of the Emperor as a ‘Boddhisattva’ a term given in Buddhism to beings who had attained enlightenment is extremely important as evidence of the social changes brought about by the Qing Dynasty. The Portrait of the Kangxi Emperor in Court dress depicts the first Qing emperor to be dressed in the traditional Chinese imperial yellow ceremonial robe with the Manchu pleated skirt and horse hoof flared cuffs to symbolise their equestrian background. Similarly, the Qianlong emperor in ceremonial armour on horseback conveys the same Manchu concepts including embedded characteristics of western paintings such as its three-dimensional perspective and colouring. Western thoughts were disregarded in China through their feelings of superiority. It was not until missionaries entered China with artworks during the Qing dynasty that Western ideas were included inj Chinese art. The portrait of the Qianlong emperor was partly created by an Italian Jesuit artist by the name of Giuseppe Castiglione, who was invited to work alongside Chinese painters by Emperor