Illustration from the Thirty-Six Views of the Imperial Summer Resort (Bishu shanzhuang): View Sixteen

Currently not on view

Illustration from the Thirty-Six Views of the Imperial Summer Resort (Bishu shanzhuang): View Sixteen

1741

Shen Yu (Chinese, active first half of 18th century)

This woodcut, part of a set of thirty-four woodcut images, was created to accompany a compilation of verses written by the Kangxi emperor (r. 1662–1722) titled Imperial Poems on Thirty-Six Views of the Summer Resort. The illustrations are based on paintings created by Shen Yu (active early 18th century), a court-painter who excelled at rendering architectural structures. Originally produced in 1712, this set is most likely a later recut edition made in 1741 under Kangxi’s grandson, the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736–1795), who took these prints as the model for Forty Views of the Yuanming Garden (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1947-1-4(26) and 1947-1-5(48)).

The Summer Resort located in Rehe (modern Chengde) about 120 miles northeast of the Forbidden City in Beijing was constructed for the Kangxi emperor in 1702 as a secluded park for the Manchu ruler to escape the summer heat of the capital. Combining expansive natural landscapes with garden designs from both north and south China, the Summer Resort remains the largest imperial park in China today. Its imaginative designs such as the mountain peak in the form of a hammer, a pond of golden lotus occupying an entire courtyard, and a riverside pavilion in the shape of a boat, captures the wonders of the natural world and the creativity of the garden planners at the imperial court.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Illustration from the Thirty-Six Views of the Imperial Summer Resort (Bishu shanzhuang): View Sixteen
From the series Summer Palaces

Date:

1741

Artist:

Shen Yu (Chinese, active first half of 18th century)

Medium:

Woodcut

Dimensions:

9 1/16 × 11 7/16 inches (23 × 29.1 cm)

Classification:

Prints

Credit Line:

Purchased with the John T. Morris Fund, 1935

Accession Number:

1935-40-2d

Geography:

Made in China, Asia

Context:

Dynasty: Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.

Currently not on view