Lot Essay
US$103,200-129,000
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Details
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmon and Peaches
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
102.2 x 34.6 cm. (40¼ x 13 5/8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Dedicated to Bojiao
Note:
Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmons and Peaches is a brightly coloured picture filled with symbols of well-being and peace for all. The composition is restrained, and the picture highlights Qi's skill in precisely representing a cricket and at the same time using simple brush strokes to portray the full, ripe fruits. The word apple 'ping' is a homophone for peace and stability, while the word persimmon 'shi' is a homophone for generation. The amaranth draws the viewers gaze from the base of the painting to the upper sections and fills the upper part with bursts of red, that extend to Qi's title and dedication. The inscription, together with the subject matter, conveys auspiciousness to the receiver.
Qi titled this picture Shishi Laoshao Pingan, which is loosely translated as 'wishing peace, stability and good health to all young and old for generations to come'. One can extrapolate how important peace and stability were in the eyes of the artist - having witnessed wars that forced him to leave his village; the passing of his parents, wives and sons, at the age of ninety two, it is unsurprising that he hoped to communicate this wisdom at the end of his life. Furthermore, Qi's rural upbringing was his main source of inspiration and one of the great strengths of his art; it engendered a lifelong interest in simple rural subjects, in particular his fascination with insects and small animals. The two crickets present in the painting were a result of decades of close observation and study of insects to render them in such life-like form. In his early years, Qi primarily drew plants and small creatures and developed tremendous skill in his control of the brush and use of colour. Historian Hu Peiheng commented that the minimalist method Qi developed in his later years gave energy and dynamism to the insects he painted and could only have been possible due to his foundation and continuous reinterpretation of his own style.
Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmons and Peaches was dedicated to a well-known art connoisseur and protector of cultural relics in China, Xu Bojiao (1913-2002), a native of Zhejiang. The son of the famous archaeologist Xu Linyu, Xu Bojiao ardently pursued the recovery of 'guo bao', National Treasures, that had left China. He set up a secret society in Hong Kong and recovered precious treasures, including classical paintings in the Zhang Daqian collection.
Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmon and Peaches
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
102.2 x 34.6 cm. (40¼ x 13 5/8 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Dedicated to Bojiao
Note:
Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmons and Peaches is a brightly coloured picture filled with symbols of well-being and peace for all. The composition is restrained, and the picture highlights Qi's skill in precisely representing a cricket and at the same time using simple brush strokes to portray the full, ripe fruits. The word apple 'ping' is a homophone for peace and stability, while the word persimmon 'shi' is a homophone for generation. The amaranth draws the viewers gaze from the base of the painting to the upper sections and fills the upper part with bursts of red, that extend to Qi's title and dedication. The inscription, together with the subject matter, conveys auspiciousness to the receiver.
Qi titled this picture Shishi Laoshao Pingan, which is loosely translated as 'wishing peace, stability and good health to all young and old for generations to come'. One can extrapolate how important peace and stability were in the eyes of the artist - having witnessed wars that forced him to leave his village; the passing of his parents, wives and sons, at the age of ninety two, it is unsurprising that he hoped to communicate this wisdom at the end of his life. Furthermore, Qi's rural upbringing was his main source of inspiration and one of the great strengths of his art; it engendered a lifelong interest in simple rural subjects, in particular his fascination with insects and small animals. The two crickets present in the painting were a result of decades of close observation and study of insects to render them in such life-like form. In his early years, Qi primarily drew plants and small creatures and developed tremendous skill in his control of the brush and use of colour. Historian Hu Peiheng commented that the minimalist method Qi developed in his later years gave energy and dynamism to the insects he painted and could only have been possible due to his foundation and continuous reinterpretation of his own style.
Amaranth, Crickets, Persimmons and Peaches was dedicated to a well-known art connoisseur and protector of cultural relics in China, Xu Bojiao (1913-2002), a native of Zhejiang. The son of the famous archaeologist Xu Linyu, Xu Bojiao ardently pursued the recovery of 'guo bao', National Treasures, that had left China. He set up a secret society in Hong Kong and recovered precious treasures, including classical paintings in the Zhang Daqian collection.
Literature
Exhibition Catalogue, Chi Pai-Shih, an Exhibition of His Painting,
Calligraphy and Seal-Carving, 1973, pl. 72.
T.C. Lai ed. Ch'i Pai-Shih, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 1973, col. pl.13
Calligraphy and Seal-Carving, 1973, pl. 72.
T.C. Lai ed. Ch'i Pai-Shih, University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 1973, col. pl.13
Exhibited
City Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong, Chi Pai-Shih, an Exhibition of His Painting, Calligraphy and Seal-Carving, 14 September - 3 October, 1973.
Brought to you by
Ben Kong
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