The Fierce Battle of Red Cliff

1766

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque 18th Century History Painting Qianlong Period

Dominant colour

The Fierce Battle of Red Cliff is a 1766 by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Qianlong Period, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1766 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a long scroll crowded with tiny warriors, boats, and swirling waves under a stormy sky. Swords flash, arrows fly, and smoke curls above the chaos of battle. This painting illustrates a famous 200s AD battle from a Chinese novel. The artist packed every inch with action, but the real story is in the details—tiny flags, individual faces, even the way the water churns. It was made during the Qianlong period, when artists often turned old legends into grand, colorful scenes. To see how other artists told the same story, look up *china, 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.