Great Victory at Hu'erman - Jean Damascene Sallusti

A detailed copperplate engraving by Jean Damascene Sallusti documenting the military campaigns of the Qianlong Emperor in the Western Regions.

This copperplate engraving depicts the Great Victory at Hu'erman, a specific engagement from the military campaigns conducted by the Qianlong Emperor in the Western Regions. Created by the Italian Jesuit missionary Jean Damascene Sallusti, who served at the Qing court, the work represents a fusion of European linear perspective and etching techniques with Chinese compositional sensibilities. The scene captures a wide-angle view of the battlefield, where Qing forces engage with opposing troops in a mountainous terrain. The precision of the engraving allows for the observation of individual soldiers, cavalry units, and weaponry, all rendered with a focus on technical accuracy and narrative clarity.

The print is part of a larger series commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor to document his military successes. These works were produced in collaboration with other Jesuit artists, including Giuseppe Castiglione and Ignaz Sichelbarth, who were tasked with adapting Western printmaking methods to suit the aesthetic preferences of the imperial court. The inclusion of calligraphy at the top of the composition, containing poems composed by the Emperor himself, integrates the visual record with the literary traditions of the period. The use of cross-hatching and varied line weights creates a sense of depth across the rugged terrain, while the arrangement of figures maintains a balance between the chaotic nature of combat and the orderly structure of the print. This piece provides a record of the cross-cultural exchange that occurred within the Qing imperial workshops during the eighteenth century, reflecting the technical capabilities of the artists and the political objectives of the patron.