55 - Qian Weicheng (China, mid-Qing dynasty, 1720–1772) Qian Weicheng, a landscape painting Qian Weicheng, a native of Wujin (Changzhou) in Jiangsu province, was a mid-Qing dynasty painter known by the courtesy names Youan and Zongpan and the sobriquets Chashan and Jiaxuan, among others. He placed first (zhuangyuan) in the imperial examination of 1745, and while going on to hold a series of senior posts in officialdom, his artistic talent was also deeply admired by the Qianlong Emperor, under whom he served as a court painter for more than two decades, producing a large body of work. He studied bird-and-flower painting under Chen Shu, while in landscape painting he carried forward the orthodox tradition of the early Qing “Four Wangs” descending from Wang Yuanqi, establishing a style of distinctive refinement and composure. The Qianlong Emperor himself frequently added inscribed poems to Qian’s paintings, and his artistic reputation remained highly regarded even after his death. The present work, too, stands within this orthodox lineage of landscape painting. L: 115.3cm W: 40.6cm / hanging scroll / silk