Landscapes of Taiping Prefecture

In 1648 the artist Xiao Yuncong designed a printed book of images that celebrate the mountain scenery of central Anhui province. The project was commissioned by Zhang Wanxuan, who served as an official in Anhui at the beginning of the Qing dynasty. Prior to this time, famous artists rarely designed prints; the adoption of the medium by Xiao and a few of his contemporaries reflects the porous boundaries between “high” and “low” culture during the seventeenth century. This relatively affordable publication disseminated the tradition of local scenery paintings—and the stunning vistas of Anhui province—to a wider audience.