Day-Lily (1656)

Dated 1656, "Day-Lily" is an artwork by Xiang Shengmo. Historical background, 1656: The seventeenth century is the age of the Baroque, which favoured dramatic light, movement, and strong emotion in the work of painters in Italy, Spain, and Flanders. In the Dutch Republic, a prosperous middle-class market supported landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and scenes of daily life painted at a modest scale for the home. It is listed in the Plants & Animals collection. The image is in portrait orientation. Plants & Animals, a short history: Naturalists and artists often worked together, especially on voyages and in published surveys of flora and fauna. Images of plants and animals run from medieval herbals and bestiaries to the scientific illustration of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries.

"Day-Lily" is offered as a printable file (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI) rather than a shipped item. You receive the files by email after payment and handle printing yourself, which gives you full control over paper, size, and finish. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Measuring the wall before choosing a size is the simplest way to avoid a print that feels too small or too large. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour.

Chinese, 1597–1658

If you like the visual language of Xiang Shengmo, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.