When the beautiful Ulanara spies her husband, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, filled with longing and undying love and studying the portrait of his late first wife, she is overcome with jealousy. She implores the Emperor to commission a portrait of her as well, in the hope of arousing the same desire in him. The Emperor chooses French Jesuit painter, Jean Denis Attiret (Melvil Poupaud), for the delicate task that is to follow. Chinese megastar Fan Bingbing turns in an understated, very moving performance as a proud Empress deeply wounded by her husband’s neglect.