Qianlong was one of the greatest of all the Chinese Emperors. He guided China through a period of unquestionable political, economic and cultural prosperity. His achievements rivalled, if not surpassed, previous periods of exceptional Imperial achievement.

Territorially, Qianlong added more than 30 per cent of landmass to the Empire through successful military campaigns and astute diplomacy. He was passionate about preserving his Manchu culture whilst respecting and nurturing other ethnic Chinese cultures. The Emperor travelled his Empire regularly undertaking lavish expeditions to the South and West designed to forge loyalty to his Imperial rule.

Despite all these successes as a ruler it is in the fields of art and culture that Qianlong made the greatest contribution to China’s heritage. 

Qianlong was a noted scholar who during his lifetime wrote and published over 43,000 poems, painted on virtually a daily basis and was accomplished in the art of calligraphy.

It was as a patron, collector, and curator, of Fine Art and Antiques that Qianlong created his greatest legacy. He amassed a vast treasure trove of works of art from previous dynasties or which represented the finest contemporary workmanship. His collection spanned all genres of the established arts.

This lecture will provide an insight into Qianlong, not only as a highly successful Emperor of China, but also as a scholar and ‘ultimate’ collector and curator of fine art

About the Lecturer

David Rosier is a Chartered Insurer, and Fellow of the Assurance Medical Society, by profession with a specialisation in medical risk assessment. He has spent in excess of 25 years focusing on business in Asia, and China in particular, and for 14 years he and his family lived in Hong Kong. During the years in Hong Kong David, and his wife Wendy, created a ‘World Class’ collection of in excess of 500 Imperial Qing Dynasty, and related items, of costume and dress accessories. This collection was acquired, in its entirety, in late 2019 by The Shanghai Museum, Peoples Republic of China. David is a past committee member of the Hong Kong Textile Society.

Since returning to the UK David has lectured extensively on Chinese Court Costume of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) plus the history, culture, and arts of Imperial China. Groups visited have been as diverse as The National Trust, Textile Guilds, Confucius Institutes, Art Fund and Oriental focused societies, plus university departments and museums.David is an Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society and lectures regularly around the UK and Europe plus tours of societies in Australia, New Zealand, and SE Asia. Additionally, he has organised and led tours to China that focus on Imperial History, Art, and Culture. He is also a regular contributor for publications such as China Eye, Oriental Art, and several textile related publications
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