Artwork Page for Happy New Year

Details / Information for Happy New Year

Happy New Year

新春樂

1662–1722

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

(1622–1722)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
38.4 x 54.6 cm (15 1/8 x 21 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.93
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 horizontally oriented woodblock print depicts people with light skin tones celebrating in yellow courtyards. Centered, a large conical pink-striped structure rises above a grey wall. In the lower left, a person on horseback leads a procession under a red umbrella. To the right, others play drums and gongs. Spectators watch from multi-story balconies above. Three black Chinese characters are centered at the top against the sky.

Happy New Year

1662–1722

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi reign (1622–1722)

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