Reborn As Super Heiress

Capítulo 1895: Chapter 1798: Imperial Court Painting

This might be the charm that makes antiques so fascinating; after enduring the changes of eras and the chaos of war, these items can preserve their well-maintained condition. In the hands of historians, they become witnesses of history and invaluable treasures for future generations.

The contents of Semiya’s chest were a complete surprise for Huo Sining, not just because of the Changxin Palace Lantern but because the rest of the items appeared in pairs.

The most remarkable aspect of Huaxia antiques is this; many foreign civilizations emphasize uniqueness, so many European antiques handed down are often solitary pieces because the creator designed only one from the start.

But Huaxia civilization is different; when designing and creating, ancient Huaxia craftsmen often prioritized companionship, so many items were originally made in pairs.

However, with the passage of hundreds or thousands of years, many objects have been lost or destroyed, and the ones truly handed down have become individual items, with few that can form a complete pair.

Yet, the items in Semiya’s chest are remarkably complete pairs, except for that single Changxin Palace Lantern. But this isn’t because the other lamp is lost but because it’s hidden in the Jibei Museum. Even if Semiya wanted to complete the pair, his hands are tied.

To preserve the completeness of items passed down through centuries is rare in itself, with few appearing in pairs. Many collectors are willing to expend great fortunes to complete a pair, yet even then, most people remain unsuccessful.

Even on the market, items that appear in pairs often have prices much higher than individual ones. It’s not as simple as one plus one equals two; the price grows exponentially, and some are unaffordable even after several rounds of price increases.

While Huo Sining was playing with these items, her eyes suddenly fell on the bottom of that wooden chest and discovered there was a scroll at the bottom. Seeing the scroll, Huo Sining paused abruptly, quickly put down the Changxin Palace Lantern in her hand, squatted down, and took out the scroll from the chest.

She placed the scroll on the gambling table, untied the rope tied in the middle, and carefully spread the painting out.

This action from Huo Sining immediately drew Su Qingqing, Li Jun, and others near her. As Huo Sining fully unfolded the painting scroll, Su Qingqing standing beside her was immediately shocked, saying, “This is an Imperial Court painting!?”

Huo Sining was taken aback; indeed, when she picked up this painting just now, she felt the purple spiritual energy emanating from it, although this energy did not seem dense and was estimated to be a work from the middle to late Qing Dynasty.

But hearing Su Qingqing say this shifted Huo Sining’s attention instinctively toward the inscription on the painting. Sure enough, in the lower left corner of the painting, there were five characters inscribed: Lang Shining respectfully painted.

Huo Sining did not expect this painting to be Lang Shining’s work, and it was an imperial oil painting. Seeing what was depicted, a storm of shock surged in her heart, which could not calm down for a long time.

Lang Shining’s original name was Giuseppe Castiglione; he was an Italian born in Milan. In the 54th year of Emperor Kangxi, he came to Huaxia as a missionary for the Jesuit order and subsequently entered the palace and joined the Ruyi Hall.

Because Lang Shining had a passion for art and science from an early age, although Emperor Kangxi at that time did not believe in the religion preached by Lang Shining, this emperor over sixty years old greatly appreciated Lang Shining’s painting talents, viewing him as an artist and treating him with considerable esteem.

Thereafter, Lang Shining became a court painter, creating paintings for the emperor and his consorts.

After Emperor Kangxi’s passing, the fourth son, Yongzheng, ascended the throne; numerous missionaries faced calamity, but Lang Shining received continued service and special respect in the Imperial Court.

Moreover, Lang Shining served through the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns, reaching the official rank of Ranked Third Level Court Painter, enjoyed the favor of three emperors, and even as a foreigner, achieving Rank Three in Huaxia Country is unprecedented across dynasties and eras.

Lang Shining engaged in painting in Huaxia for as long as 50 years, and also participated in the design work of the Western Mansion of Yuanmingyuan. Perhaps due to the influence of Western sketching, Lang Shining’s painting integrated Western and Eastern techniques, creating detailed and vivid effects with unique depth and dimensionality on the flat surface, crafting a new painting style exclusive to Lang Shining. His paintings became the artistic fashion within the Manchurian noble circles at that time, leaving a distinguished mark in the history of Huaxia painting.

However, because most of Lang Shining’s works were imperial court paintings, his works mainly remain in the Forbidden City Museum, the National Palace Museum, and a handful of Huaxia museums with one or two paintings. Overseas, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Berlin Museum of East Asian Art also house some works, but those circulated privately or abroad are very few, and prior to this, Huo Sining had never seen or heard of them.

This oil painting in Huo Sining’s hand depicts Emperor Qianlong and a few consorts enjoying a garden scene, where Emperor Qianlong and several consorts are frolicking in the Imperial Garden. The people in the painting are dressed uniformly in Qing-style attire with flowerpot soles, holding embroidered handkerchiefs, chasing butterflies, or bending to sniff flowers, each movement unique.

The painting uses Western techniques, so each consort is distinctive, with varied forms and appearances—either delicate and touching or full and imposing, with faces like peach blossoms or having lustrous skin and bones, graceful yet charming, slender waists swaying like spring water, lightly adorned with blush yet eyes revealing tender emotions, each person’s appearance displayed vividly, capturing the consorts’ most beautiful demeanor to the fullest.

Seeing this painting, Huo Sining suddenly recalled seeing a TV drama which featured a scene reportedly altered from historical facts, narrating how Emperor Qianlong commanded Lang Shining to paint a group portrait of him and his palace consorts, including Emperor Qianlong and the Empress, totaling thirteen people.

Emperor Qianlong named this painting “Heart Writes Peace”; after Lang Shining completed the painting, Emperor Qianlong showed it only three times when the painting was just finished, at his seventieth birthday, and during abdication. Afterwards, the painting was sealed with orders that who dares to steal a glimpse would face execution by slow slicing.

This painting was later lost during the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion, eventually appearing at the Cleveland Museum of Art in America, where it remains to this day.