The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of November 4, 2026

A horizontally oriented albumen print features two large, weathered stone horse statues facing each other in the foreground. They sit with legs tucked under heavy bodies amidst tall grass. Two smaller stone horses stand further back, silhouetted against a low horizon. A flat, pale sky meets the distant land, emphasizing the isolation and symmetry of the monumental figures within the vast, open landscape.

Stone Horses

c. 1870
photographer

Lai Fong (Afong Studio)

(Chinese, c. 1839–1890)
China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
Albumen print
Image: 22 x 29 cm (8 11/16 x 11 7/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 2026.69.b
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Lai Fong was the preeminent Chinese photographer of the 19th century.

Description

Lai was a talented photographer and shrewd businessman who operated a studio in Hong Kong called Afong Studio. He competed successfully with British and European competitors, perhaps because, as he advertised, his catalogue of views of China were “larger, choicer, and more complete…than any other in the Empire.” He provided an insider’s look at the modernization and other changes brought to China by trade and war with Western nations.
  • -October 8, 2026
    Stephan Loewentheil, New York, NY, sold to The Cleveland Museum of Art
    October 8, 2026-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Stone Horses|url=false|author=Lai Fong (Afong Studio)|year=c. 1870|access-date=04 November 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2026.69.b