The court painter Xu Yang, a native of Suzhou, was commissioned by the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736–95) to record in twelve monumental handscrolls the emperor's historic 1751 tour of south China. This scroll, the longest of the twelve, chronicles the lavish pageantry of the emperor's arrival in Suzhou.
The careful attention to detail offers a rare opportunity to observe the daily life and activities of an eighteenth-century Chinese city. People, residences, shops, famous temples, and renowned scenic gardens and sites reflect the artist's intimate knowledge and love of his hometown. The influence of Western art on court taste is evident in the use of perspective and foreshortening in architectural details. Grand Secretary Yu Minzhong inscribed the beginning of the painting with a poem about Suzhou composed by the Qianlong emperor. Palace archives reveal that Xu Yang began a draft of this set of scrolls in 1764 and completed the silk version in time for the emperor's sixtieth birthday, in 1770.
#7319. The Qianlong Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour, Scroll Six: Entering Suzhou along the Grand Canal (Qianlong nanxun, juan liu: Dayunhe zhi Suzhou)
1. Unidentified artist, 1 column in standard script, undated (carved on cinnabar lacquer scroll box):
Painting of the Southern Inspection Tour, [scroll] six
《南巡圖》， 巳
2. Unidentified artist, 1 column in standard script, ca. 1770 (on brocade wrapper):
Painting of the Southern Inspection Tour, [scroll] six
《南巡圖》， 巳
Collector’s seals
Qing emperor Qianlong 清帝乾隆 (r. 1736–1795) De xiangwai yi 得象外意 Hanjing weidao 含經味道 Wufuwudai Tang guxi tianzi zhi bao 五福五代堂古稀天子之寳 Bazheng maonian zhi bao 八徴耄念之寳 Tiandi wei shi 天地為師 Bihua chunyu 筆華春雨
[sale, Sotheby's, New York , Fine Chinese Paintings, November 30, 1988, lot 71, to MMA]
Zurich. Museum Rietberg. "The Mandate of Heaven: Emperors and Artists in China," April 2, 1996–July 7, 1996.
Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. "The Mandate of Heaven: Emperors and Artists in China," August 3, 1996–November 10, 1996.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Traditional Scholarly Values at the End of the Qing Dynasty: The Collection of Weng Tonghe (1830–1904)," June 30–January 3, 1999.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The World of Scholars' Rocks: Gardens, Studios, and Paintings," February 1–August 20, 2000.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "When the Manchus Ruled China: Painting under the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911)," February 2–August 18, 2002.
Taipei. National Palace Museum. "Art Under the Emperor Qianlong," October 5, 2002–December 20, 2002.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Douglas Dillon Legacy: Chinese Painting for the Metropolitan Museum," March 12–August 8, 2004.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Art of the Brush: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy," March 12–August 14, 2005.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City," February 1–May 1, 2011.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from The Met Collection (Rotation One)," October 31, 2015–October 11, 2016.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the Metropolitan Collection (Rotation Two)," May 7–October 11, 2016.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Up Close," January 25, 2020–June 27, 2021.
Cahill, James. Pictures for Use and Pleasure: Vernacular Painting in High Qing China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010, pp. 140–42, figs. 4.39, 4.40, 4.43.
Wang Hongjun 王宏鈞. Qianlong nanxuntu yanjiu 乾隆南巡圖研究 (Research into the Handscrolls of the Qianlong Emperor’s Southern Inspection Tour) Beijing: Wenwu chubanshe, 2010, pp. 86–105.
Flacks, Marcus. Custodians of the Scholar's Way: Chinese Scholars' Objects in Precious Woods. London: Sylph Editions, 2014, pp. 34–35.
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