Wu Jide 鄔繼德 (b. 1942), Long, Drawn-out Years 悠悠歲月, 1994, Woodblock print, 45 x 60 cm

MET registration no. wuvjd008

Wu Jide knows the canal cities of Zhejiang province, as he grew up, studied and worked there. He illustrates the familiar theme of river dwelling, an ancient subject that goes back to the Song dynasty (960-1279). The white patches replicate the use of worn-out blocks. The inserted panel shows women weaving cloth, from the genre ‘women’s ten chores’—copied from Ming and Qing dynasty prints.  The clothing, bicycle and other details, however, indicate that this is a modern subject.