Artwork Page for First Part of Story of The Western Chamber

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First Part of Story of The Western Chamber

全本西廂記

1736–95

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

(1736–95)
Medium
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Print only: 99.3 x 43.5 cm (39 1/8 x 17 1/8 in.); Overall: 122.1 x 57.5 cm (48 1/16 x 22 5/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.88
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 hanging scroll depicts a vertical sequence of walled courtyards with gray tiled buildings. Figures in colorful robes populate interior spaces, while a mounted rider leads a procession at the bottom right. Near the top, horizontal white clouds drift past floating golden structures. Multiple columns of black calligraphy are interspersed throughout the composition. Muted pinks and grays define the architecture, contrasting with the detailed lines of the surrounding garden landscape.

First Part of Story of The Western Chamber

1736–95

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

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