Scenic View of Suzhou (1736–95): Art, History and Details

Scenic View of Suzhou (1736–95) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

Warm tones in yellow and ocher dominate this print that depicts figures within a garden compound, a pavilion, and other architectural structures. Among the few direct references to the city of Suzhou are the written title and Tiger Hill Pagoda in the upper left part of the print. Thus, the top printing panel may have been used and combined with other printed sections that had more specific depictions of the city. The inscription reads: Year round there is no need to search for flowers. When fish are tired from jumping, they float Painted boats rest after sailing at the small bridge. The King of Wu was indeed a heroic ruler: For a thousand years his fine fame has endured. ––from Chinese Gusu Prints in the Christer von der Burg Collection, edited by Weng Lianxi and Christer von der Burg (Beijing, 2026), 140.

Object facts

• Title: Scenic View of Suzhou
• Date: 1736–95
• Culture: Southeast China, Suzhou, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong reign (1736–95)
• Type: Print
• Technique: Hanging scroll; multicolor woodblock print; ink and color on paper, printed in three shades of black, hand colored
• Dimensions: Print only: 112 x 55.8 cm (44 1/8 x 21 15/16 in.); Overall: 188 x 64 cm (74 x 25 3/16 in.); with knobs: 188 x 71 cm (74 x 27 15/16 in.)
• Collection: ASIAN - Hanging scroll
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 2025.53

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.