Artwork Page for Eight Immortals Honoring the God of Longevity

Details / Information for Eight Immortals Honoring the God of Longevity

Eight Immortals Honoring the God of Longevity

八仙上壽選仙圖

1736–95

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

(1736–95)
Medium
Woodblock print; ink on paper
Measurements
Print only: 28.5 x 31.2 cm (11 1/4 x 12 5/16 in.); Overall: 30.2 x 31.5 cm (11 7/8 x 12 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.102
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 square woodblock print depicts a winding spiral path populated with figures, animals, and plants on tan paper. Fine black ink strokes delineate a central circle where the God of Longevity sits atop a platform. Figures like the Eight Immortals appear alongside creatures including deer and cranes. A geometric border frames the composition, while vertical French handwriting is inscribed along the right margin of the sheet.

Eight Immortals Honoring the God of Longevity

1736–95

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

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