Collection: Giuseppe Castiglione

Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766), known in China as Lang Shining, was an Italian Jesuit lay brother and missionary who served as a court artist to three Qing emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. Trained in Milan, he arrived in China in 1715 and integrated European techniques with Chinese traditions, producing works that synthesized Western realism and Eastern compositional conventions.

Castiglione’s oeuvre encompassed portraits, battle scenes, and architectural designs, often executed in ink and color on silk or paper. His "Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts" (1736–70s) exemplifies his hybrid style, employing chiaroscuro and linear perspective while adhering to Chinese formats. He also contributed to the design of the Yuanmingyuan’s Sino-Rococo pavilions, incorporating mechanical fountains and Italianate gardens.

His fusion of European and Chinese aesthetics established a distinct Qing court style, influencing later imperial patronage. Though the Yuanmingyuan was destroyed in 1860, Castiglione’s works remain in the Palace Museum, Beijing, and other collections, documenting the cultural exchange between Jesuit missionaries and the Qing court.