Plum Blossoms -- Illustration from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shizhuzhai shuhua pu) by Hu Zhengyan

Plum Blossoms -- Illustration from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shizhuzhai shuhua pu)

before 1703

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Artwork details

Dimensions
sight: 25 x 28.7 cm (9 13/16 x 11 5/16 in.)
Location
Harvard Art Museums
Copyright
CC0 1.0

About this artwork

Editor: This is "Plum Blossoms" from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual, created by Hu Zhengyan. I’m struck by its delicate lines, especially given that it's a woodblock print. What can you tell me about the manual's production? Curator: The Ten Bamboo Studio Manual was a revolutionary contribution to color printing technology. Its influence spread because it made art accessible through mass production, impacting consumption. Editor: So, its value isn't just aesthetic but also lies in its process? Curator: Precisely. The manual blurred lines between art object and commodity. The materiality of the ink, paper, and carved blocks speaks volumes. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It's interesting to see art democratized through production.

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