The Battle at Elei Zhalatu: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with Imperial Poems
Unknown Artist
c. 1765–74; poem dated 1766
Medium
etching, mounted in album form, 16 leaves plus two additional leaves of inscriptions
Dimensions
51 × 87 cm
Classification
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1998.103.3
About this artwork
This set of etchings was commissioned by Emperor Qianlong to record in pictorial terms the courage of his generals and soldiers in quelling the rebellions in China's western regions. Qianlong added his own poem to each of the etchings, indicating his appreciation and pride in this demonstration of military might. "Western Regions" refers to the present-day Xingjiang province, often described in Western writing as "Central Asia."