Battle at Heshi Kuluke - Jean Damascene Sallusti

A detailed eighteenth-century copperplate engraving depicting a military engagement from the Qianlong Emperor's campaigns in the Western Regions.

This copperplate engraving depicts the Battle at Heshi Kuluke, a significant engagement during the Qianlong Emperor's military campaigns in the Western Regions. Produced in the late eighteenth century, the work belongs to a series commissioned by the Qing court to document imperial victories. Jean Damascene Sallusti, an Italian Jesuit missionary residing in Beijing, collaborated with other European artists and Chinese engravers to create these detailed records.

The composition employs Western linear perspective and cross-hatching techniques to render the rugged terrain of the frontier. Soldiers on horseback engage in combat across a valley, while the background features steep, craggy mountains. The artist balances the chaotic movement of the cavalry with the static, monumental quality of the landscape. In the upper right corner, a block of Chinese calligraphy provides context for the event, integrating the visual narrative with the literary tradition of the imperial court. The print reflects the synthesis of European artistic methods and Chinese subject matter that characterised the Jesuit influence at the Qing court.

Technically, the work demonstrates the precision of eighteenth-century engraving. The fine lines define the textures of the rocks, the foliage of the trees, and the armour of the soldiers. This print serves as a historical document of the expansionist policies of the Qianlong era, capturing the scale of the conflict through a blend of topographical accuracy and dramatic staging. The inclusion of the imperial poem adds a layer of political authority to the scene, framing the military action within the broader scope of the emperor's governance. This piece offers a view into the cross-cultural exchanges occurring within the Forbidden City during the mid-Qing period.