A Newly-Cut Print of Illustrations from The Classic of Mountains and Seas

1808

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Jiaqing Period

Dominant colour

A Newly-Cut Print of Illustrations from The Classic of Mountains and Seas is a 1808 by Unknown, a Romanticism work, depicting Jiaqing Period, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1808 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a bright, busy sheet of paper covered with tiny black-and-white pictures of mountains, rivers, and strange creatures—some real, some made-up. This is a woodblock print from a book called *The Classic of Mountains and Seas*, an old Chinese text full of myths and geography. Instead of keeping it private, someone turned it into a wall print for homes, like a poster. The lines are sharp, almost like a comic. If you like these old Chinese stories, look up *Qing dynasty (1644–1911)*.

The story of this work

Overview

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.

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.

Read the full account in the museum source.