ABSTRACT
This chapter narrates the apotheosis of the genre through a grandiose production commissioned by Qianlong. Qianlong was presented with the two previous paintings of the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving on two separate occasions. Qianlong considered the paintings as dating back to the thirteenth-century and as a recovery of the original appearance of the genre. The Qianlong emperor wrote that he was profoundly moved, describing the reappearance of these “thirteenth-century” scrolls as miraculous blessings. In his perspective, these scrolls revealed cosmic approval for his reign. This chapter takes readers through the steps in which Qianlong worked to eulogize the scrolls. He first wrote texts about them, analyzing them by using the emerging methodologies of Kaozheng Xue or Evidential Learning. Qianlong used this mode of inquiry or knowledge production to restage a paradigm shift in the writing of Chinese history, enabling the Qing imperium to formulate a reevaluation of Chinese culture. He positioned the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving in his Garden of the Clear Ripples – an imperial palace in Beijing that was completed in 1765. This garden is presently located in the Summer Palace as a 2001 reconstruction. Qianlong constructed a working village of the southern Jiangnan region in this northern residence, transforming the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving and bringing them to life. He was inspired to carve their Song scenes on steles, supplementing them with his written account of the genre’s history along with its importance to him, his reign, and, ultimately, the dynasty. The stones were placed in the newly made village made complete with farmers – with men and women who labored among the stele to grow rice and weave silk. The emperor observed both working farmers and their depiction on the stele, reveling in a seasonal, dynamic tableau vivant at home, uniting labor with its idealized representation. He claimed to have transformed the picture-perfect imagery into reality, an accomplishment worthy of his great reign to be exalted for eternity – a dynasty to end the cycle of dynasties.
