The High Qing emperors' great effort brought the empire to its heyday. The stable political scene and prosperous economy much benefitted the production of court painting. Many Westerners came with professional painting skills techniques but also taught the knowledge of Western painting in the court and largely influenced court painters. As such, some Qing court paintings reflect strong Western style. By using the firsthand archives including "Neiwu fu Zaoban chu gezuo chengzuo huoji qingdang", and "Grand Council Archives" that are preserved in both sides of the Strait, this article analyzes the conflict and adaptation of the Sino-Western cultural interaction. The author specifically focuses on the conversation between Kangxi Emperor and the pope's envoy, and the artistic activities of the Western painters served in the inner court.
During the High Qing period when the Chinese and Western arts interacted, each had its own choice, transformation, integration, and rejection as well. The High Qing emperors chose and transformed the Western art on the basis of "Chinese essence, Western functions (zhongti xiyong)" which resulted in a unique kind of court art. Consequently, when discussing the High Qing court art one cannot ignore the fact that the High Qing emperors accepted the value of Western knowledge without abandoning the tradition, which made the High Qing court a historic stage of the interaction between Chinese and Western arts.
