The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 12, 2026

The Top Scholar Returns Home

1736–95

China, Qing dynasty

(1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
Hanging scroll; polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Print only: 52.7 x 75.3 cm (20 3/4 x 29 5/8 in.); Overall: 144.9 x 91.2 cm (57 1/16 x 35 7/8 in.); with knobs: 144.9 x 98.1 cm (57 1/16 x 38 5/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2025.25
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

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.

Description

Woodblock printing in color reached its height in China in the 1600s to 1700s. It was executed by means of sets of separate blocks, each carved to print a different color.
  • ?–2025
    (Christer von der Burg, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=The Top Scholar Returns Home|url=false|author=|year=1736–95|access-date=12 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.25