Artwork Page for Happy Birds in a Spring Garden

Details / Information for Happy Birds in a Spring Garden

Happy Birds in a Spring Garden

春苑喜鳥圖

1736–95

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

(1736–95)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
88.2 x 42 cm (34 3/4 x 16 9/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.39
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 depicts a woman and child in a garden. To our left, a woman with light skin tone and an updo stands behind a stone table in a green and maroon robe, holding a long pipe. To our right, a boy with light skin tone and two hair tufts leans forward holding a gold scepter. Four birds fly among flowering branches across the top against a tan background.

Happy Birds in a Spring Garden

1736–95

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

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