New Year's Day in a Village at Stone Lake1609 · Study 1980.178

Context from the museum

This rural scene presents typical activities of a New Year’s Day in which relatives and friends approach the house to convey their good wishes to the elders. Two boys in the courtyard light fire crackers, and servants in front of the main gate beat the gong to announce the guests. Inside the house, the hosts entertain their guests by offering hot wine and by writing New Year couplets to be hung on the gates welcoming the New Year. White cherry blossoms announce the spring. The water village at Stone Lake is characteristic of the Jiangnan region in southeast China. Born in Suzhou, the artist Li Shida may have even had his hometown in mind when he produced this painting.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected overall measurement for New Year's Day in a Village at Stone Lake is 53 cm wide and 33.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 20.9 × 13.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.59:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.18 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 17.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 123.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With New Year's Day in a Village at Stone Lake in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Album leaf; ink and light color on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 53 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?