Picking Chrysanthemum

The figure in the painting refers to poet Tao Yuanming (365 - 427) , who lived in a period of political instability and left his frustratingly low level government position at the age of forty to live as a farmer. He is known for celebrating liberation from material concerns, and his withdrawal from political engagement ties in with his penchant for chrysanthemums. As the "hermit" among flowers, chrysanthemum is closely associated with Tao, who wrote poetry in its honour. A disillusioned patriot and recluse, Tao Yuanming is featured regularly by disenchanted artists who used past figures to express their observations of their contemporary surroundings.
Qi Baishi chose not to imitate the ancient masters, preferring to look at the real mountains and rivers before creating his own paintings that capture an artistic reality impregnated with his own feelings. His depictions of figures gradually diminished in the number of brushstrokes employed, preferring instead to expose the essence of a figure without having to succumb to unnecessary detail or props.