Tan Shi Sou, White Snake Temple

Bertha Lum

Bertha Lum was fascinated by the legends and mythology of the Orient and wrote extensively about them. These legends provided the subject matter for many of her works in woodcut.

Also known as 'Temple, Peking' this architectural color woodcut by Bertha Lum was done in an edition of at least 45 impressions. She was in China on her sixth trip (1922-1924) to the Orient and her first trip to Peking where she studied Chinese woodblock printing and where she developed her "raised line" technique. There is also a raised line version of this woodcut, done in reverse and hand colored.

The Legend of the White Snake, also known as 'Madame White Snake', is a Chinese legend which existed in oral tradition long before any written compilation. It has since been presented in a number of major Chinese operas, films and television series. This is one of the temples in Peking that is associated with the legend.