Echoes of empires: The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles

Portraits and cherished possessions of three emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) – Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong – alongside three contemporaneous French monarchs – Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI – are being exhibited at the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing.

The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: Exchanges between China and France in the 17th and 18th centuries is an exhibition that uses around 200 collections including painting, clocks, scientific instruments, porcelain and other related cultural relics to conjure up the two centers of opulence and exchanges between the two countries.

The two world-renowned museums, standing as witnesses of the history of China and France over two centuries, are now a link between the two civilizations.

The golden age

In 1685, French Jesuits were dispatched by King Louis XIV to China, and some of them served the Forbidden City for a long time. With their arrival, French culture left its mark on many fields, such as science, art, architecture, medicine and cartography in the Qing court, according to the Versailles Palace chair.

On the other hand, since the time of Louis XIV, the Chinese style had been around the French court and reached its peak in the mid-18th century, coexisting with Rococo, even during the neoclassical period.

The attraction for China and Chinese art at the French court was mainly reflected in four aspects: importing Chinese artworks; French transformation of imported artworks, such as installing gilt copper sets on porcelain; Imitation of Chinese handicrafts, especially porcelain; Integrate Chinese art elements into French decorative art.

Amusing fusions

The Palace of Versailles has brought to Beijing its collection of Chinese art pieces or objects inspired by Chinese art, including a silver jug, made by China around 1680-1685, from the ambassadors of Siam (now Thailand) in 1686 as a diplomatic gift to Louis XIV.

Before sending the Jesuits to China, the sumptuous reception given by Louis XIV in 1686 to celebrate the arrival of envoys from the King of Siam marked the beginning of the French court's keen interest in "the Far East."

The Palace Museum has a collection of diplomatic gifts from French monarchs to the Qing court. One of which is a 7th-century pocket-watch given to Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) by his counterpart Louis XIV. Made by Parisian watchmaker Isaac Thure, the figure of the watch case is Louis XIV but inside is a gold-plated five-clawed dragon.

If this pocket-watch shell shows the image of Louis XIV, then the Chinese dragon sculpture inside should represent the Chinese Emperor Kangxi, said Guo Fuxiang, the curator for the exhibition on the Chinese side and deputy director of the Department of Court History at the Palace Museum. 

The pattern combination of the Louis XIV case is also to illustrate the merits and achievements of the monarch in sponsoring science, art and foreign expansion, which were an important part of his public image. The five-clawed Golden dragon has been solidified in the West as a symbol of the Chinese emperor, he said.

With the deepening of exchanges, China gave birth to the transparent enamel craft originating from France, and France also drew inspiration from Chinese porcelain art.

Mutual appreciation continues

The exhibition is a part of this year's cultural activities for the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism and the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties. The display was first announced in spring 2023, during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to China.

A decade ago, an initial exhibition was held at the Palace of Versailles marking the anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. The unique feature of this year's exhibition is "the manner in which parallels are drawn between works from the Chinese and French collections," the Palace of Versailles said. "This dialogue sheds light on the mutual interests of both cultures." 

Pointing to how Chinese culture inspired French thinkers during the Renaissance as an example, Wang Xudong, the director of the Palace Museum, said that this mutual appreciation continues to today and has particularly enhanced the exchanges in the cultural legacy field. 

"In recent years, we have found paths, such as exchanging collections, discussing relic conservation, co-launching academic projects and training museums talents with France," Wang emphasized. 

On January 25, French composer Charles Gounod's classic Romeo and Juliet was staged at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. From September to November, an immersive augmented reality (AR) exhibition depicting the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will also be shown in China.