Breaking Through the Siege at Hesui: from Battle Scenes of the Quelling of Rebellions in the Western Regions, with imperial Poems, 1759

This set of etchings was commissioned by emperor qianlong to record in pictorial terms the courage of his generals and soldiers in quelling the rebellions in the western regions. Qianlong added his own poem to each of the etchings, indicating his appreciation and pride in this demonstration of military might. "western regions" refers to the present-day xinjiang province, central asia. Date: 1759. Place of creation: China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong reign (1736-1795). Dimensions: Overall: 51 x 87 cm (20 1/16 x 34 1/4 in.). Medium: etching print. Collection: Cleveland Museum of Art.