Long Road Rest House by Lucille Douglass

Long Road Rest House by Lucille Douglass

Long Road Rest House

Lucille Douglass

Title

Long Road Rest House

 
Artist
Year
c. 1920  
Technique
etching 
Image Size
7 3/16 x 9 3/16" platemark 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
not stated 
Annotations
pencil titled, lower left; monogrammed in the plate, lower left (backwards) 
Reference
 
Paper
cream wove rag 
State
 
Publisher
 
Inventory ID
24742 
Price
SOLD
Description

This appears to be the canal district of Madu, Suzhou, China. The bridge that Douglass has chosen to feature is very similar to the Pavilion Bridge, with what appears to be the famous Maple Bridge in the distance. Now known as the "Venice of China", this canal city was visited in the 13th century by Marco Polo, who was startled by its uncanny resemblance to his own.

Lucille Douglass traveled to China in 1920 to work as an art and English teacher in in Shanghai. While there, she struck up a friendship with writer Florence Wheelock Ayscough, whose book Waterways of China Douglass would later illustrate. "Long Road Rest House" may have been a study for this publication.