Artwork preview

Calligraphy: "Happiness"

Empress Dowager Cixi

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a calligraphy piece with two large black Chinese characters on a beige background. The characters are written in a bold, expressive brush style. The character on the left is tall and thin, with a long vertical line and a curved horizontal line extending from the top. The character on the right is shorter and wider, with curved lines that loop back on themselves. Above the characters, there is a small red square seal with white text. The seal is positioned in the upper center of the image. The background of the calligraphy piece is a light beige color, with a slightly darker border around the edges.

Artwork details

Date:
18th–19th century
Medium:
Hanging scroll; ink on gold-flecked paper
Culture:
China
Dimensions:
409 × 624 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette