清（1644—1911）
绢本 设色
纵56.3厘米 横1706.7厘米
    《万笏朝天图》卷，生动细致地描绘了乾隆南巡至苏州，官员百姓接驾的场景，可让二百多年后的我们对这一盛事有了更为直观的印象。为了完整展示这幅瑰丽的长卷，天津博物馆在《耀世奇珍》 展厅中特置专柜将17米巨制完全展开，将其全貌第一次完整呈现于广大观众面前。
  清无款《万笏朝天图》卷，为磁青绢地金碧山水人物画长卷，卷高56.3厘米，卷长则有17米多。卷首钤有“宣统御览之宝”印玺，为清宫旧藏。“万笏朝天”本是形容苏州天平山笔架峰群石林立，状似群臣朝觐天子时所持的笏板，在这里则是将地方官民迎接圣驾的场面冠以此语，语意双关。画面由苏州城郊开始，以城西天平山为中心展开，连接支硎山、灵岩山一带的名胜古刹。观音院、放鹤亭、听雪阁、高义园、白云泉等著名景观历历在目，描绘准确而细致。画卷色彩富丽，气势恢宏，将苏州城的山川景致、市井风俗和官民盛大的迎接乾隆皇帝御驾的场景栩栩如生的再现于17米的长卷之上。
  图画重点描绘灵岩山、天平山一带，地方文武官员身着朝服与耆老、缙绅在空旷处排列跪伏，八十岁以上的老人则穿黄布或黄绢外褂，手执高香跪接御驾的场景。南巡的主角乾隆皇帝本人的形象在图中并未直接出现，而是以茂密的林木掩映中微露一角的杏黄伞盖代替，有学者研究认为这种绘画方式可能与本图作为南巡补记或前期路线准备的汇报进呈本有关。本图的作者已无从考证，在卷尾的署款我们可见“恩给知府职衔臣范瑶恭进。”范瑶为宋代名臣范仲淹的后裔，世居苏州，曾任大同知府，正是他组织画士将乾隆南巡苏州的场面描绘出来的。
10,000 tablets of an Imperial Audience
Unattributed
Qing dynasty(1644-1911)
Hand scroll, ink and colour on silk
Height 56.3cm, Width 1706.7cm

This piece was painted by a member of the Fan Yao clique resident in Suzhou(Fan Yao was the descendant of Fan Zhongyan). It uses gold powder on midnight blue silk to depict a scene of Emperor Qianlong passing through Suzhou en route to Jiangnan. The landscape, architecture,local customs and city life are all incisively and vividly depicted in this monumental historical hand scroll.

The phrase “10,000 tablets of an imperial audience” was originally used to describe Suzhou’s Mount Tianping. The boulders and the trees on the peaks, which are shaped like brush stands, resemble the tablets carried by each of the amassed officials when granted an audience with the emperor. Therefore the title 10,000 Tablets of an Imperial Audience of this painting of the local people and officials of Suzhou welcoming the emperor has a double meaning, relating both to the figures and the landscape. Qianlong’s imperial authority is expressed through a parasol in the painting, which can also be seen as a symbol of his paramount authority. The clear and fluent composition, resplendent colour and glittering gold make this a rare masterpiece.