Attributed to Felice A. Beato
Emperor's Summer Palace, Peking1860

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Attributed to Felice A. Beato
Title: Emperor's Summer Palace, Peking
Place Made: Italy
Date Made: 1860
Medium: Albumen silver print
Dimensions: Image: 7 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (19.05 × 24.13 cm) Primary support: 7 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (19.05 × 24.13 cm) Secondary support: 14 1/4 × 20 3/4 in. (36.2 × 52.71 cm) Mat: 22 × 18 in. (55.88 × 45.72 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Feldman
Accession Number: M.83.302.39
Classification: Photographs
Collecting Area: Photography
Curatorial Notes: Built in 1750 during the Qing dynasty, the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) served as a luxurious imperial retreat. It was also a key site for political affairs, as emperors conducted state business there in the summer months. The palace is a masterpiece of traditional Chinese garden design, blending natural landscapes with artificial features such as pavilions, bridges, and corridors. Felice Beato, an Italian-British photographer, spent several months in China in 1860, accompanying the British and French military during the final stages of the Second Opium War (1856–60). His primary purpose was to document the war and its aftermath, including the destruction of the Summer Palace by Anglo-French forces. Seen in ruins in this photograph, the palace was rebuilt in the 1880s under Empress Dowager Cixi, its restoration reflecting China’s resilience in the face of foreign aggression.

Britt Salvesen

2025

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Attributed to Felice A. Beato
Title: Emperor's Summer Palace, Peking
Place Made: Italy
Date Made: 1860
Medium: Albumen silver print
Dimensions: Image: 7 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (19.05 × 24.13 cm) Primary support: 7 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (19.05 × 24.13 cm) Secondary support: 14 1/4 × 20 3/4 in. (36.2 × 52.71 cm) Mat: 22 × 18 in. (55.88 × 45.72 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Feldman
Accession Number: M.83.302.39
Classification: Photographs
Collecting Area: Photography
Curatorial Notes: Built in 1750 during the Qing dynasty, the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) served as a luxurious imperial retreat. It was also a key site for political affairs, as emperors conducted state business there in the summer months. The palace is a masterpiece of traditional Chinese garden design, blending natural landscapes with artificial features such as pavilions, bridges, and corridors. Felice Beato, an Italian-British photographer, spent several months in China in 1860, accompanying the British and French military during the final stages of the Second Opium War (1856–60). His primary purpose was to document the war and its aftermath, including the destruction of the Summer Palace by Anglo-French forces. Seen in ruins in this photograph, the palace was rebuilt in the 1880s under Empress Dowager Cixi, its restoration reflecting China’s resilience in the face of foreign aggression.

Britt Salvesen

2025