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Fleeting Years

Wu Jide Chinese

1994

Not on view

This print is the first in a series of four illustrating daily life in the canal cities of Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces. River dwelling, a traditional subject, is here interpreted with contemporary people and buildings. Inserted in a white patch are female weavers at work, a theme copied from Ming (1368–1644) and Qing dynasty (1644–1911) prints illustrating “women’s ten chores.”

White patches are used to simulate the effect of printing with worn-out blocks, as the carved surface suffers losses through time.

Fleeting Years, Wu Jide (Chinese, born 1942), Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Youyou suiyue

Title: Fleeting Years

Artist: Wu Jide (Chinese, born 1942)

Date: 1994

Culture: China

Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Dimensions: Image: 22 1/4 x 29 3/4 in. (56.5 x 75.5 cm)

Classification: Prints

Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.