PALAIS, PAVILLONS ET JARDINS CONSTRUITS PAR GIUSEPPE CASTIGLIONE DANS LE DOMAINE IMPERIAL DU YUAN MING YUAN AU PALAIS D'ETE DE PEKIN, PARIS, 1977

twenty engraved plates, with bilingual preliminary text printed on vélin de Rives, contained loose in folio

There is very light foxing on the title page, even lighter foxing on the second and third pages, a touch of staining on the back of the third and fourth pages from the fox marks. In very good overall condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

One of 250 copies made,  this is an outstanding facsimile edition of the celebrated set of 20 engravings produced between 1783-1786 illustrating the European Palaces of the Yuanmingyuan designed by Giuseppe Castiglione and other missionary artists working in the Imperial Palace for the Qianlong Emperor. This extraordinary architectural project was recorded for the Emperor in these plates, originally engraved on copper by Chinese pupils of the Jesuits and collectively known under the Chinese name Changchun Yuan shuifa tu.

The Qianlong Emperor commanded Giuseppe Castiglione to build a complex of palaces in the manner of European palaces, the designs of which he must have been familiar from the books of engravings brought to China by the missionaries. Castiglione was assisted in this architectural venture by a talented team of Jesuit colleagues - Ferdinand Bonaventure Moggi, Ignatius Sichelbart, Jean-Denis Attiret, Egide Thebaut, Charlier, Pierre Cheron d'Incarville, Martial Cibot, and Michel Benoist who was responsible for the fountains and waterworks which so delighted the Emperor. The Jesuits were sent to Europe for pattern-books and are known to have worked from editions of Vitruvius, Androuet du Cerceau, Borromini and Bibiena, which resulted in a curious style of hybrid Baroque. The Palaces were encrusted with stone ornament, imitation shells and rock-work, with blind windows and doors, scrolls and foliage, pyramids and elaborate outside staircases.

The last plate in this set is possibly the most extraordinary, depicting the view of the east bank of the artificial lake, where the Jesuits had painted a trompe-l'oeil to represent a European town. In the engraving, the Chinese artists have struggled to master the alien principles of western perspective, so essential to the success of this particular conceit.

The original engravings were presented to the Qianlong Emperor in 1786 and remain the most important and detailed visual reference on the European Palaces at Yuanmingyuan, depicting the palaces and surrounding gardens in their prime, nearly 20 years after their completion. The fact that the Emperor had commissioned the engravings would indicate that he was satisfied with the European Palaces and their environs.

This spectacular set is produced to a very high quality, to the exact size of the original engraved images, and on Velin de Rives paper which emulates the 'papier de Chine' of the originals. It is worth noting that the facsimile was produced from one of only three known sets of engravings which have not been folded and thus have no detracting central crease. Another album of twenty prints depicting views of the European Palaces, also made in 1799, was sold Christie's London, 9th November 1977, lot 239.