Chapter 1 To Visualize or Not to Visualize: Commemorating the Suppression of Revolt in Early Qing China
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Abstract
During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), imagery drawn from the careers of officials gained tremendously in popularity. Functioning as visual curricula vitae, paintings sponsored by or for officials depicted the highlights of their public lives, including their supervisory roles in suppressing revolts locally and on the frontier. The Manchus who established the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) also embraced this visual trend. This chapter explores the political and cultural contexts in which visualizing or not visualizing the suppression of revolt was part of the pictorial, textual, and ritual matrix of commemorating the military achievements of officials, the emperor, and the state in early Qing China.