Artwork Page for Lady watching a swallow

Details / Information for Lady watching a swallow

Lady watching a swallow

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign

(1736–95)
Medium
Hanging scroll; polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Print only: 68.5 x 44.6 cm (26 15/16 x 17 9/16 in.); Mounted: 219 x 64 cm (86 1/4 x 25 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.42
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Woodblock printing in color reached a height in China in the 1600s to 1700s. The prints were executed by means of sets of separate blocks, each carved to print a different color.

Description

In the 1600s, printing flourished in such Jiangnan cities as Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Huizhou, evolving from privately enjoyed illustrated books printed in color to more commercialized single-sheet color prints that were hung on walls and became part of the rich urban visual culture.
A vertically oriented polychrome woodblock print on aged paper depicts a woman seated on a dark wood chair, facing our right and looking upward. She wears a long black robe over a light blue garment with orange trim. To her left, a ceramic basin on a stand holds three fish among green aquatic plants. Behind her, a round floral fan rests against the chair back, while two birds fly in the upper right corner.

Lady watching a swallow

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95)

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