Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts

Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts by Giuseppe Castiglione: This portrait shows the Qianlong emperor at 26, in the first year…

What to notice

In Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts, start with classical, portrait, figurative. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: His likeness is followed by portraits of the empress and eleven consorts.

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This portrait shows the Qianlong emperor at 26, in the first year of his reign. His likeness is followed by portraits of the empress and eleven consorts. Their portraits document the appearances of the court women around the time when they received their respective imperial titles, which occurred at different stages of the emperor's life.