Lang Shining (born Giuseppe Castiglione, 1688–1766) was an Italian Jesuit missionary and painter who served three Qing dynasty emperors as a court painter for more than fifty years. He was born and educated in Milan and joined the Society of Jesus before coming to China in 1715. Upon his arrival in Beijing, he adopted the Chinese name Lang Shining and became a Catholic missionary. In addition, he was appointed the Qing dynasty court painter. Lang Shining transformed Qing dynasty painting by introducing Western linear perspective, three-dimensional modeling, and shading techniques. However, he applied them in a way that complemented the usual Chinese methods of using brushes, ink, and paper. As a result, he created a synthesis in Qing-era portrait, equestrian, and courtly painting.
Early Life
Giuseppe Castiglione was born on July 19, 1688, in the San Marcellino quarter of Milan, Italy. At that time, Milan was a cultural center of the Late Renaissance and the Baroque period. This allowed the young Giuseppe to develop his artistry. He was educated in private schools, where he acquired fundamental knowledge in drawing anatomies, painting, and linear perspectives. The skills of chiaroscuro, which were in demand in Italy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, were among his main qualifications.
In 1707, at the age of nineteen, he became a novice at the Jesuit order and was ordained a priest in Brescia in 1712. Thus, he dedicated his life to God and continued his artistic development in the Jesuit order. Castiglione was regarded as the most talented among his peers. For this reason, the superiors sent him to Genoa and Coimbra to paint altarpieces.
At the same time, the authorities of the Jesuit order recognized the need to invite skilled artists, architects, and engineers to China. They understood that local officials and nobility would be interested in European art. The emperor himself was impressed by the expertise of Jesuit scientists.
Therefore, the authorities decided to send Giuseppe to China. In 1710, he embarked on a long journey around the world. He arrived in Macau, a Portuguese colony, in 1715.
Patronage of Qing Emperors
Upon his arrival in Beijing in 1715, Castiglione was invited to meet Kangxi, the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, who hired him as a painter-in-residence at the court. To be able to integrate into the new environment, he changed his Chinese name to Lang Shining. He served three different dynasties in almost half a century, being appointed as the emperor’s court painter.
His outstanding skills and mastery have earned him the respect of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong, who all employed him to work on their portraits and other assignments. However, his personal connection to the last emperor is hard to be replaced. Qianlong was a passionate art lover and often visited Lang Shining’s studio in the Forbidden City to see how he worked. The emperor has also been known to commission the artist to paint various portraits, including the ones of his ancestors, and massive pictures of military events, national celebrations, tributes, and exotic animals presented to the throne. In addition to fulfilling the court orders, Lang Shining had to adapt to the new environment by giving up oil painting on canvas in favor of Chinese silk and paper painting.
He never failed to deliver despite the pressure and the necessity to constantly adjust his skills with regard to materials, styles of painting, and formats. By doing so, he ensured his success and longevity as the favorite painter of the Ming Dynasty, enjoying both the protection of the throne and the ability to navigate the complex court politics.
Artistic Style & Synthesis of Western and Eastern Traditions
Lang Shining is known in art history as a genius painter who could combine two completely different methodologies of European and Chinese art. While the European artists depicted dramatic lighting effects, sharp shadows, and used oil paints to create a sense of volume and perspective, the Chinese painters used a traditional method of painting with ink and brushes, depicting minimal contrast. For the Chinese tradition, it was almost anathema to depict shadows on people’s faces and bodies, as it might be seen indecent or coarse. The court painter overcame this challenge, creating a unique style which combined the usage of western tints and shadows with the delicate strokes of Chinese painting, which became highly appreciated by the Qing dynasty emperors.
In order to meet the expectations of the Emperor, Lang managed to soften Western harsh shadows, using front lighting to clearly define faces without emphasizing the shadows on the model’s cheekbones. He mastered the use of both traditions, depicting every little detail of horses, birds, flowers, and people’s manners with accuracy to nature and true to life. The painter also excels in capturing the intricacies of fabric, animals’ textures, and leaves’ patterns. He managed to create a unique perception of space as the European art tradition prescribed while delivering the precise lines required by the Chinese painting techniques. This uniqueness of style made the master a teacher of many court painters who worked with him in the Emperor’s palace.
Architectural Work at the Yuanmingyuan
Apart from painting, Lang Shining was also famous for his contribution to the imperial architecture and landscaping. For instance, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, he was hired as the chief designer and contractor of the Xiyang Lou (European Palaces) in the Yuanmingyuan or Old Summer Palace. This legendary complex was strategically located to the northwest of Beijing. It was a tribute to the emperor’s progressive and cosmopolitan mind. The complex included various European buildings and gardens surrounding Chinese-style pagodas.
Lang worked with other Jesuit missionaries and Chinese artisans to construct luxurious stone palaces, marble facades, staircases, and fountains. He imitated European, particularly Italian, Renaissance and Baroque features like those found in the Palace of Versailles and fountains in Rome. However, they had to adapt building techniques to Chinese traditions and used a mixture of materials in the construction of Haiyantang (Hall of Calm Seas). The Hall’s water-clock fountain had twelve bronze animals sculpted to represent the Chinese zodiac. Thus, the work of art showed his multifaceted skills and talents. Consequently, his work at the Old Summer Palace made the Qianlong Emperor see Europe’s architectural mastery and earned Lang Shining a place in the annals of eighteenth-century Chinese architecture.
Legacy, Death, and Historical Impact
Lang Shining died in Beijing on July 17, 1766. He was seventy-seven years old when he passed away. His long service to the Qing emperor came to an end. The Qianlong Emperor was deeply saddened by the news of his death. He sent a message of condolence and sympathy to the artist. The emperor also ordered a public funeral for Lang. The emperor expressed his sadness about losing his devoted servant of fifty years of tireless and diligent service to the throne. The Qianlong Emperor had written a eulogy in praise of the master, and he ordered that 300 taels of silver be given to Lang’s heirs. Besides, the emperor elevated Lang’s court title posthumously to Vice President of the Board of Works. It was a significant honor for a Jesuit missionary in China. His body was laid to rest in the Zhalan Cemetery, a Jesuit burial ground in Beijing, next to other respected European pioneers.
The art of Lang Shining has created a legacy that has opened the door to a period of early modern global history. He was one of the most accomplished artists’ personalities in history. He has achieved incredible success in a challenging and competitive environment. At the same time, he became a pivotal figure in the history of both Chinese and Western art. Lang Shining fearlessly violated the conventions of traditional Chinese painting, introducing new elements. He tried to combine Western techniques of perspective, anatomy, and modeling with Chinese conventions of line, wash, and structure. The master created magnificent works of art: portraits of the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors, as well as horses, flowers, and other subjects familiar to Chinese viewers. Moreover, he managed to fix some of the most famous Qing dynasty rituals in his paintings. It is hard to overestimate the significance of this achievement for the history of arts. Today, his works of art are considered priceless masterpieces. They are stored in art galleries in Taipei, Beijing, and Paris.
Signature Works
Throughout his fifty-year career at the Qing court, Lang Shining created numerous impressive pictures of outstanding historical significance. The most famous of these is One Hundred Horses (1728), a massive piece more than eight meters long, painted on silk. The horses depicted in it are grouped in clusters. Some of them are resting or grazing while others are galloping, playing, or drinking from a river. The picture contains elements of both Chinese and European styles: horses are painted with European understanding of the structure, and the landscape is expressed in Chinese techniques. The composition was popular with the Yongzheng emperor, and Lang Shining became the official painter for the Qianlong emperor in his capacity as master of horsemanship.
Another celebrated work by Lang is The Qianlong Emperor in Ceremonial Armour on Horseback (1739). In this portrait, the painter rendered the folds of the Emperor’s silk robe with soft modeling typical of Chinese portraiture. At the same time, the embroidery on his chest was rendered with a European level of detail, as were the velvet and metal elements in his horse’s harness. Less grandiose but still notable are the leaves from albums painted by Lang. For example, Assembled Auspiciousness (1723) and Ten Prized Hounds (1747) are compositions in which, among other things, the artist has made excellent depictions of exotic flowers, the Qianlong’s hunting dogs, and animals sent to the throne as tributes. All these paintings were made in the Qing court as tributes, thus serving as symbols and tokens of the empire’s power and wealth.