Artwork Page for The Spring Ox

Details / Information for The Spring Ox

The Spring Ox

春牛圖

1882

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

(1875–1905)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Print only: 28 x 37.8 cm (11 x 14 7/8 in.); Overall: 47.9 x 63.5 cm (18 7/8 x 25 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.74
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 in bright yellows, reds, and greens is split by a vertical tear near the center. Center, a figure in a red robe sits within a yellow, animal-rimmed circle. Flanking the center, clusters of people in colorful robes carry offerings. A dark ox stands in the lower center. Blocks of black Chinese calligraphy and a dense floral border frame the composition.

The Spring Ox

1882

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Guangxu period (1875–1905)

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