qing dynasty lecture - by maxwell hearn, met

[Anonymous]

This was an insightful take on the possible cause for China's lack of preparation for the onslaught by the British after King George III was dismissed by the Emperor via Lord Macartney.
I was not expecting that the lecture had as its objective the end of an era of Chinese isolation. I was enthralled by the artwork. I was particularly engaged as the lecturer juxtaposed the various portrayals of the emperor and his ego with that of the Jesuit artist' knowledge of European styles. As I watched I understood the lectures admonishment that the emperor most likely intended the portraits to be used to secure his status for posterity's sake. However I also had in mind that maybe the emperor's directive to have himself portrayed in various modes was due to his particular interest in various guilds that may have been his hobbies or desires as a young man. I also contemplated that the emperor was showing that no matter what the guild or lifestyle, he was the head and the representative of it.
The other collections from the garden were simply remarkable. I really enjoyed the beautiful panels that gave the illusion of imprints of paintings but were actually replete with white jade craftings. The hybrid art forms such as the photo realism that emerge are a testiment to the interaction between the Jesuits and the Chinese with the latter utilizing the best of both.
I heard about the influx of clocks and watches into China during the Opium War period as a method to peak the interest of the Chinese to open up trade with the British, however I had no idea that China had the largest collection of antique European clocks in the world. It does make sense though.
The lecturer's conjecture that the delusion of art was the downfall of the emperor was interesting as well. The idea that the abundance of art in the garden and the variety of representations of the emperor's accomplishments made him less inclined to see the need to prepare for change is an interesting notion. If indeed the emperor became myopic as a result of his self admiration via art, it is telling that so many other empires that have fallen have examples of rulers immortalized in art and story as well. Patron be ware!

[Anonymous]

[font=Times]This is an informative curated piece on the Qianlong Emperor. Private Paradise – The objects are all from the actually garden itself in the Palace Museum. For older students I think this would be an informative video to watch. Some possible focus questions are: What role do you think gardens played in history? What was the Emperor’s initial motivation for creating the garden in the Forbidden City? What does the garden tell us about the Qianlong Emperor? How did Qianlong want to be [/font]perceived?
edited by aafolabi on 6/30/2015

[clay dube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSv1vYeXHiM

This lecture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focuses on an exhibition organized there in 2011, focusing on the Qianlong era.

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