Artwork Page for Happy Fisherfolk

Details / Information for Happy Fisherfolk

Happy Fisherfolk

漁家歡樂

1662–1722

Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi reign

(1662–1722)
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Medium
Multicolor woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
39.7 x 60.5 cm (15 5/8 x 23 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.91.b
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 depicts a bustling fishing scene in muted green, blue, and red tones. Stylized, cream-colored waves fill the landscape, populated by boats and figures using nets. A central island features a two-story building surrounded by people on rocky outcrops. Willow trees lean from the left. A red rectangular cartouche with Chinese characters (see “Inscriptions”) sits in the upper right, above vertical text along the right edge.

Happy Fisherfolk

1662–1722

Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Kangxi reign (1662–1722)

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