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The Crucible

Huangyan (Zhang Weiyao) Chinese

probably 1946–47

Not on view

Against the towering background furnace that radiates sparks and flames, the lean but muscular bodies of two laborers glow under more dramatic lighting as they go about smelting metals in a crucible. The print thus juxtaposed and celebrated two kinds of raw energy—one human, the other industrial—as China began to modernize.

The print’s dense texture, vivid details, and layered visual effects recall Soviet wood engravings, which Huangyan greatly admired.

The Crucible, Huangyan (Zhang Weiyao) (Chinese, 1920–1989), Multiple woodblock print; ink and color on paper, probably Taipei, Taiwan — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Zhuguo

Title: The Crucible

Artist: Huangyan (Zhang Weiyao) (Chinese, 1920–1989)

Date: probably 1946–47

Culture: probably Taipei, Taiwan

Medium: Multiple woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Dimensions: Image: 6 9/16 x 4 5/16 in. (16.6 x 11 cm)
Overall: 22 x 16 in. (55.9 x 40.6 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.