Lotus Seeds and Water Caltrops

1725

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Lotus Seeds and Water Caltrops is a 1725 by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Suzhou, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1725 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see two lotus seed pods and a handful of spiky water caltrops floating on a pale background. This painting was probably a wall print sold in Suzhou markets during the Qing dynasty. People bought them to decorate their homes—cheap, colorful, and easy to swap out. The artist isn’t known, but the work feels more like a quick, lively sketch than a formal painting. If you like this quiet style, look up Qing dynasty (1644–1911) for more everyday art from the time.

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.