TWO COLORED COPPER-PLATE ENGRAVINGS OF THE CONQUESTS OF THE QIANLONG EMPEROR DATED 1769

the first, the Receiving of the Surrender of the Ili, from a drawing by Jonatius Sichelbarth, engraved by Benoit-Louis Prevost under the direction of Charles-Nicolas Cochin II, the lower edge inscribed P. Jonatius Sichelbarth Soc. JESU  delin. 1765, C.N. Cochin direx., and B.L. Prevost Sculpsit 1769; the second, the Storming of the Camp at Mount Gadan, from a drawing by Giuseppe Castiglione, engraved by Jacques-Philippe Le Bas under the direction of Charles-Nicolas Cochin II, the lower edge inscribed Joseph Castilhoni Soc. JESU  delin 1765, C.N. Cochin direx., and J. Ph. Le Bas Scul 1769; each tinted, framed, and glazed (2)

Neither engraving was examined outside of the glass frame. Both engravings are in good overall condition. There are minor repaired tears - the most evident being one each in the sky area and in painting to lost pigment. There is some slight faint staining, most evident along the edges. There has been some discoloration to the applied pigments. The surface with and wear consistent with age.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Copper-plate engravings were first made in China during the Kangxi period by the missionary Matteo Ripa. However, it was after seeing prints done after the battle paintings by the German artist Rugendas (1666-1742) that the Qianlong emperor was inspired to commemorate his own victories in battle against China's Central Asian neighbors in a series of prints. He commissioned the original set of sixteen engravings of his conquests on 13th July 1765 for the central hall of the Palace of Beijing. Reduced versions of full battle paintings were prepared in China by Jesuit missionaries including Castiglione and Sichelbarth, and then sent to France, where the engravings were executed in Paris by eight artists under the direction of Charles-Nicolas Cochin II of the Académie Royale at the Court of Louis XVI. The Qianlong emperor's commission of sixteen copper plates, two hundred copies of each for a total of three thousand, two hundred engravings, and the return of the sixteen original sketches, were delivered by the East India Company to the Qing imperial court on 20th September 1777.