Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog (1821–50): Art, History and Details

Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog (1821–50) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

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.

Object facts

• Title: Zhang Xian Shoots the Heavenly Dog
• Date: 1821–50
• Culture: China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Daoguang reign (1821–50)
• Type: Print
• Technique: Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper
• Dimensions: 108.5 x 57.9 cm (42 11/16 x 22 13/16 in.)
• Collection: China - Qing Dynasty
• Department: Chinese Art
• Accession number: 2025.44

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.