Gusu Beauties of the Four Seasons–Summer (1736–95): Art, History and Details

Gusu Beauties of the Four Seasons–Summer (1736–95) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

“Beautiful women” (meiren) was a popular subject in prints from Suzhou, a city that set trends in fashion and art. This print is from a set of Four Beauties representing the Four Seasons, along with CMA 2025.48, CMA 2025.50, and CMA 2025.51.

Object facts

• Title: Gusu Beauties of the Four Seasons–Summer
• Date: 1736–95
• Culture: Southeast China, Suzhou Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong period (1736–95)
• Type: Print
• Technique: Multicolor woodblock print; ink and color on paper, framed
• Dimensions: Print only: 105.7 x 56 cm (41 5/8 x 22 1/16 in.); Print only: 107.5 x 57 cm (42 5/16 x 22 7/16 in.); Overall: 113.5 x 63 cm (44 11/16 x 24 13/16 in.)
• Collection: China - Qing Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 2025.46

A detail from the museum

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.

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.