Artwork Page for Butterflies on Roses

Details / Information for Butterflies on Roses

Butterflies on Roses

玫瑰與蝴蝶

1700–1750

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
27.3 x 38.4 cm (10 3/4 x 15 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.112
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 horizontal woodblock print depicts a thorny branch bearing soft-pink and yellow flowers extending from the left against an off-white background. Muted green and brown leaves sprout from the stems. Two butterflies hover near the center: one above with green and brown wings, and another below with pale-green and pink wings. Three vertical columns of black calligraphy occupy the upper right, completing the asymmetrical composition of delicate organic forms.

Butterflies on Roses

1700–1750

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

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