Qing Dynasty Painting Goes Under the Hammer, Could Be Worth Up to $19 Million

The painting "Blue Goats" from the Qing Dynasty will be up for auction for the first time. The monumental, impressive in its technique and history, commissioned by Emperor Qianlong, could fetch a dizzying price.

One of the greatest works of Qing dynasty court painting, the monumental painting entitled Blue Goats , will be auctioned for the first time. This event is stirring great excitement in the art world, both because of the importance of the work and its unique history.

The auction will take place during Sotheby’s Asian Art Week in Hong Kong . The painting will go under the hammer in a special, single-theme sale on May 8, with an estimated value of between $7.7 million and $19.3 million.

Giuseppe Castiglione, Jin Tingbiao - The Blue Goats / photo: Sotheby's

The painting was commissioned by Emperor Qianlong in the late 1750s. Made on silk , it measures an impressive 217 cm in height and almost 192 cm in width.

It depicts two bluish-gray goats climbing a rocky, mountainous landscape surrounded by pines, cypresses, and streams. One jumps to the left, looking toward the viewer, the other turns its head, walking in the opposite direction.

It should be emphasized that the animals are depicted with extraordinary realism . Their fur, eyes and hooves were painted using chiaroscuro techniques characteristic of Western painting . The rocks were made with a classic "net" brushstroke , and the flora is depicted with the attention to detail typical of the court.

Although it is signed by the Chinese painter Jin Tingbiao , the style and quality of the work suggest that "Blue Goats" is the result of his collaboration with the Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione . This makes the painting a perfect blend of Chinese and European aesthetics.

The painting also has a literary dimension. At the top is a poem by the Qianlong Emperor, engraved in calligraphy by his official Yu Minzhong .

There are only two copies of the painting in the world. The one on display was part of a private collection in South America for decades, while the other is in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei .

Nicolas Chow , head of Sotheby’s Asian Art department, calls this incredible work a testament to the emperor’s power and an artistic and historical miracle.