Yves Saint Laurent Pierre Bergé - Christie's

Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library
Sculptures from the
Emperor’s Clepsydra
The Qing dynasty emperors (1644–1911)
traditionally left the oppressive heat of Beijing
during the hottest months, decamping to their
summer palaces in Chengde and, nearer the
capital, in Xiangshan (the Fragrant Hills). The
most famous of the latter is the Yuanming Yuan
(Garden of Perfect Brightness), which even now
evokes images of exotic magnificence. The
Qianlong emperor was especially fond of this
garden and spent much time there – conducting
affairs of state, relaxing and taking pleasure in art
and literature.
In the north-eastern part of the Yuanming Yuan
were the so-called ‘European Palaces’, which were
designed by European Jesuit missionaries
employed at the Chinese court. Fountains were
not a feature of Chinese architecture, but in 1747
the Qianlong Emperor saw a painting of a
European fountain, and asked the Jesuit
missionary Giuseppe Castiglione to explain it.
Fascinated, the Emperor demanded to know
whether any of the Europeans at his court could
construct such a thing, and Father Michel Benoist,
having some knowledge of hydraulics, built him a
model of a fountain. This so delighted Qianlong
that he determined to build both a fountain and
Portrait of Qianlong, Emperor of the Middle Kingdom, engraved by Mariano Bovi, 1795 (engraving),
English School (18th century)