The Grand Review - No.3 - Reviewing Battle Formation

According to statutes of the Ch'ing court, the ceremony of the Grand Review was to be held every three years. The first time under the Ch'ien-lung Emperor, who had assumed the throne in 1736, occurred in 1739. Archival records of the Ch'ing court at the time indicate that Chin K'un and other court artists were ordered to paint "The Grand Review," a project that was completed in 1749. The final work was a set of four handscrolls, one each for "The Imperial Encampment," "Battle Formation Lined Up," "Reviewing Battle Formation," and "Battle Formation on the Move." At the end of each scroll are inscriptions by such top court officials as Liang Shih-cheng (1697-1763) recording the contents of the paintings. Of the four, however, only two are known to survive--this one on loan from the Yageo Foundation and "Battle Formation Lined Up" in the Peking Palace Museum. The Ch'ien-lung Emperor is depicted here personally reviewing the troops, shown riding a horse and wearing martial attire. The painting style appears to follow the brushwork associated with Lang Shih-ning (Giuseppe Castiglione, fl. 1688-1766), the Jesuit court artist from Italy.