Artwork Page for Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog

Details / Information for Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog

Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog

張仙射天狗

1821–50

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

(1821–50)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
108.5 x 57.9 cm (42 11/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.44
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 Zhang Xian, a man with light skin tone and a long beard, aiming a bow toward a small animal in stylized, snaking clouds. He wears a gray robe with a blue and gold circular chest piece. Below, two boys carry a flowered branch and a spear with a red pennant. The figures are rendered with delicate ink outlines against a tan, mottled background.

Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog

1821–50

China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Daoguang reign (1821–50)

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