Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts

A bust-length portrait of a man in a black brimmed hat with a red tassel and white finial, wearing a yellow robe embroidered with gold dragons among blue waves and multicolored clouds, with a dark fur collar. The plain cream silk ground carries red seals and a dated inscription beside the face. The record identifies this as part of a handscroll attributed to Giuseppe Castiglione; the image itself does not show the emperor's name.

Look closer: Two small red seals sit in the upper left and lower right corners of the silk, marking the scroll's collection stamps.

Artist

Giuseppe Castiglione

Date

1736–70s

Medium

Handscroll; ink and color on silk

Source

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Size

3400 × 2300 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund