Yi Lantai

Biography:

Yi Lantai, also known as Yilantai, was a Manchu court artist from China who was trained by Giuseppe Castiglione, the Italian Jesuit artist who worked at the Qing court. He is known for designing and probably producing a set of 18th-century engravings that document the European-inspired section of Yuanmingyuan, an imperial estate on the outskirts of Beijing. The engravings are among the largest of all Qing printed works and the first copper-plate engravings to be produced in China by local artists. Yi Lantai's work is held in various collections, including the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Chester Beatty Library.