Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 4 works by Qianlong Emperor in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Qianlong Emperor left, the most famous is Pair of Mounted Covered Vases (1770), in the collection of the The Frick Collection, New York City. Close behind it come Pine Tree from Album of the Four Friends with Calligraphy and Painting (1912) and Two Paintings of Deer Antlers (1767). Our catalog holds 4 works by Qianlong Emperor; the gallery has kept the 4 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The Pair of Mounted Covered Vases is an object attributed to the Qianlong Emperor. This work dates to about 1770. The piece consists of two individual vessels that have been modified and fitted with metal components to alter their original form and function.
A Testament to Imperial Taste: The Pine Tree from Album of the Four Friends Provenance: Originating from an album commissioned during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), this exquisite hand-painted reproduction captures a pivotal moment in Chinese artistic history. Completed in the 22nd year of his rule, it represents not merely a botanical depiction but a profound statement of imperial patronage and aesthetic sensibility. The original album, now housed within…
The Qianlong Emperor practiced both calligraphy and painting as a way of identifying himself with Chinese literati ideals of self-cultivation. However, the subject matter of these two scrolls reveals his concomitant desire to align himself with Manchu hunting traditions. Furthermore, the realistic rendering of texture and three-dimensional form reflects the influence of Western pictorial techniques, introduced to the court by Jesuit painters such as Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766). The earlier of…
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Qianlong Emperor | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Frick Collection |
New York City | 1 | Pair of Mounted Covered Vases |
 Song Art Museum |
Beijing | 1 | Pine Tree from Album of the Four Friends with Calligraphy and Painting |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 1 | Two Paintings of Deer Antlers |
 The Palace Museum |
Beijing | 1 | Hongli Summer Palace Misty Rain Building Picture Scroll |
Qianlong Emperor's dated works in this selection cover only 4 years, from 1767 to 1770: a brief career, shown here year by year.
Pick a year to see its originals.
The Qianlong Emperor practiced both calligraphy and painting as a way of identifying himself with Chinese literati ideals of self-cultivation. However, the subject matter of these two scrolls reveals his concomitant desire to align himself with Manchu hunting traditions. Furthermore, the realistic rendering of texture and three-dimensional form reflects the influence of Western pictorial techniques, introduced to the court by Jesuit painters such as Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766). The earlier of…
The Pair of Mounted Covered Vases is an object attributed to the Qianlong Emperor. This work dates to about 1770. The piece consists of two individual vessels that have been modified and fitted with metal components to alter their original form and function.
Pair of Mounted Covered Vases (1770), The Frick Collection, New York City. Pine Tree from Album of the Four Friends with Calligraphy and Painting (1912) and Two Paintings of Deer Antlers (1767) come next.
59 years old: Pair of Mounted Covered Vases dates from 1770, and Qianlong Emperor was born in 1711.
Our catalog holds 4 works by Qianlong Emperor, dated from 1767 to 1770.
Mostly in The Frick Collection (New York City), Song Art Museum (Beijing) and Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). The museum table above lists them all.
On this page, the earliest is Two Paintings of Deer Antlers (1767) and the latest Pair of Mounted Covered Vases (1770).
