View of the Imperial Winter Palace, Pekin, Showing the Artificial Hill, October 29, 1860

Felice Beato

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a panoramic view of a traditional Asian architectural landscape from an elevated vantage point. The horizon is lined with buildings featuring pagoda-style roofs. The scene includes a complex of structures, possibly a palace or temple area, and a dense array of foliage and trees in the foreground. Various pavilions and pagodas are scattered throughout the landscape, with a hill rising to the left, topped by a larger pagoda. The photograph is in sepia tones, giving it a vintage appearance.