Unattributed

Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Hand scroll, ink and color on silk

Height 56.3cm, width 1706.7cm

This piece was painted by a member of the Fan Yao clique resident in Suzhou (Fan Yao was the descendant of Fan Zhongyan). It uses gold powder on midnight blue silk to depict a scene of Emperor Qianlong passing through Suzhou en route to Jiangnan. The landscape, architecture, local customs and city life are all incisively and vividly depicted in this monumental historical hand scroll.

The phrase "10,000 tablets of an imperial audience" was originally used to describe Suzhou's Mount Tianping. The boulders and the trees on the peaks, which are shaped like brush stands, resemble the tablets carried by each of the amassed officials when granted an audience with the emperor. Therefore the title of this painting of the local people and officials of Suzhou welcoming the emperor has a double meaning, relating both to the figures and the landscape. Qianlong's imperial and paramount authority is symbolized by a parasol in the painting. Its clear and fluent composition, resplendent color and glittering gold make this a rare masterpiece.