Artwork Page for Chrysanthemum, Begonia, and Blue Asters

Details / Information for Chrysanthemum, Begonia, and Blue Asters

Chrysanthemum, Begonia, and Blue Asters

菊花、秋海棠、與紫菀

1700–1750

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
28.5 x 36.5 cm (11 1/4 x 14 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.121
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 woodblock print depicts a porous blue rock in the center left, surrounded by pink, feathery blossoms and large brown leaves. The plants sprout from a pale green ground below. On the right, thin branches with small pink flowers extend toward the edge. A soft yellow orb floats in the upper left, while vertical Japanese calligraphy occupies the upper right. Brown spots are scattered across the cream-colored paper.

Chrysanthemum, Begonia, and Blue Asters

1700–1750

China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

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