Court Painter Lang Shining

This film (drama)Also known as宫廷画师郎世宁，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2004Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin，Current Douban rating6.6(For reference only)。

In the late Kangxi period, Italian missionary Lang Shining arrived in China and served as a court painter due to his painting skills. The Kangxi Emperor, who appreciated Western techniques, greatly admired the realism of Western painting. He requested Lang Shining to learn the essence of Chinese painting to better serve the court. While studying Chinese painting, Lang Shining was also ordered to teach Western portraiture to Chinese painters at the palace. To ensure the effectiveness of his lectures, he insisted on using live models. This was shocking and Kangxi, being broad-minded, instructed that "no males or females should be painted," leading him to sketch nude eunuchs in secret. Before coming to China, Lang Shining had painted portraits for the Portuguese royal family, specifically for the queen and princess. However, in the Qing palace, he could not paint women. He was perplexed by this. The young and beautiful Seventh Princess occasionally walked by him, and her lively figure caught Lang Shining's attention, prompting him to secretly sketch her. When the Seventh Princess discovered his actions, she was curious to see how he would paint her. One day, Kangxi finally ordered Lang Shining to paint the Seventh Princess, as he intended to marry her off to the remote western regions. The Seventh Princess wept as they exchanged glances, leaving Lang Shining unable to pick up his brush... At the same time, a fierce and subtle struggle for succession was unfolding around Lang Shining. While fulfilling imperial portrait commissions, he often found himself unwittingly entangled in this conflict. The Fourteenth Prince set off for the western regions, and Kangxi awarded him a golden armor to display his power. The Fourteenth Prince eagerly put it on and secretly had Lang Shining paint him, as if he were destined to rule. When Kangxi went hunting in Rehe, he took his favorite grandson, Hongli (later known as Qianlong), and they killed a large bear together. The Fourth Prince (later known as Yongzheng) killed a tiger. Kangxi instructed Lang Shining to paint these two events together. In reality, this was a portrait symbolizing succession. Kangxi not only intended to pass the throne to the Fourth Prince but also hoped that the Fourth Prince would, in turn, pass it on to Hongli. Lang Shining painted everything that was deemed appropriate. The intentions of Kangxi or his princes conveyed through Lang Shining's portraits, as well as the rise and fall of the princes, attracted more attention from both court and public than the portraits themselves. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, Lang Shining found himself imprisoned due to the "overstepping" implied in his painting of the Fourteenth Prince in golden armor. Yongzheng used this painting as evidence of a conspiracy, defeating the opposing Eighth and Fourteenth Princes. However, later, because of Lang Shining’s "succession painting," he pardoned him and appointed him as a court painter. It was at this moment that Lang Shining realized his art needed to align more closely with the political needs of the court, rather than merely reflecting an artistic pursuit. The controversial ascension of Yongzheng led him to flatter Yongzheng’s preferences, proactively presenting his new works that integrated Chinese and Western styles, such as "Gathering of Auspiciousness," to indicate that auspicious signs appeared upon Yongzheng's ascension, in hopes of winning Yongzheng's favor. Yet, deep within, Lang Shining felt increasingly oppressed. In comparison to Kangxi's tolerance and broad-mindedness, Yongzheng came off as strict and harsh. Lang Shining attracted trouble for collecting works by Ba Da Shan Ren that mocked the Qing dynasty but narrowly escaped punishment by pretending to be confused. However, he became fearful of the expressive qualities of Chinese painting. The essence of Chinese painting was something he could not grasp; he couldn't simply learn by looking at what he perceived as good. Yongzheng’s three sons, Hongshi, Hongli, and Hongzhou, continued the tragic struggle for succession of the previous generation. Hongli was the designated crown prince, but the eldest, Hongshi, was dissatisfied and even attempted to assassinate Hongli. After the plot was revealed, Yongzheng executed Hongshi. From that point on, Yongzheng’s spirit sank. To avoid the cruel court struggles, Hongzhou pretended to be mad and foolish all day long. He disguised himself as a beggar, a woman, and even a dead person rising to heaven, asking Lang Shining to paint these absurd images, claiming they could ward off evil. In reality, he was indicating that he did not wish to vie for power with Hongli. Disheartened, Yongzheng allowed Hongzhou’s antics. After all, he had only two sons left, and he did not want them to fight. The iron-fisted ruler Yongzheng was eventually assassinated by Lü Si Niang, who had been adopted by the Eighth Prince, leading to Hongli’s ascension as Qianlong. During Qianlong's reign, a prosperous era dawned. This young emperor seemed to have more leisure than his grandfather and father, and he appreciated Lang Shining’s paintings even more. Dapper Qianlong often composed poetry and painted with Lang Shining, even allowing him to enter the imperial palace to portray his consorts one by one. He granted Lang Shining a high official position, elevating him to the status of court painter. While serving Qianlong, one thing particularly puzzled Lang Shining. On one hand, Qianlong expressed disdain for Western powers, while on the other, he was keenly interested in Western civilization. Qianlong was very cautious of the expansionist ambitions of Western powers like England and Russia, determined to combat them, which ultimately led to the policy of closing the country. Yet, he wanted to possess all the good things from the West: music, painting, machinery, and even architectural projects. He had Lang Shining design and build the Western-style garden in the Yuanmingyuan for his enjoyment. Qianlong sent troops to quell a tribal rebellion in the western regions. Upon returning, he brought back a beautiful woman, the chief’s daughter. Taken by her beauty, Qianlong added her to his palace and conferred the title of Fragrant Concubine. He deeply fell in love with this woman, who was unyielding. However, the Fragrant Concubine remained indifferent to Qianlong, even hiding a knife in her clothing, ready to perish with him at any moment. Qianlong asked Lang Shining to get close to the Fragrant Concubine and understand her homesickness. He then had Lang Shining design and build a dwelling with Islamic flair in the Yuanmingyuan for her. Ultimately, the Fragrant Concubine was moved by Qianlong's genuine feelings and discarded her self-defense knife. But at a critical moment, the empress presented the dowager empress’s edict, using the excuse of the Fragrant Concubine carrying a knife to decree her death. Qianlong was heartbroken, and Lang Shining was also deeply saddened. The ruler and his subject exchanged tearful glances, and a beautiful dream was shattered... Over the decades of serving in China, Lang Shining witnessed the historical process of the rise and decline of the Chinese Empire. During these decades, his faith in God gradually blurred. He adopted a pair of children and experienced the joys and troubles of family life. He gradually lost his pursuit of art. As a court painter, he was in a high position but had no creative freedom. Just as China at this time gradually lost its direction, Lang Shining also gradually lost himself in this process...