Lot Essay
US$232,300-283,900
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Details
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Four Apples
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
68.6 x 33 cm. (27 x 13 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Note:
Japan's military defeat in August 1945 was a happy period in Qi Baishi's life. Beijing had been under siege since 1937; during such unpredictable and difficult times, Qi refused to meet with guests and often made an excuse of his heart problems in 1939. In addition to the problems his country was facing, in his own life Qi was also dealing with personal grief over the passing of his sons and wives. This painting was created in 1946 when Qi was eighty-six, but the wish for peace and a stable life echo louder knowing the loss he had experienced.
This rare work was one of the first paintings by Qi Baishi that the present owner purchased. Qi's genius is manifested in the subject matter, composition and mood of the painting. The apple is a homophone for the word meaning stable, and so conveys a desire for peace and stability. Compared to a painting with the same subject matter on p.98 in Viewing Qi Baishi's Paintings, the sense of space is more compact, as is characteristic of Qi's later works in comparison to the present piece. The lush red apples are round and plump, radiant in a woven basket that balances the single leaf in the corner and the bold calligraphy that fills the top half of the painting.
Four Apples
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
68.6 x 33 cm. (27 x 13 in.)
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Note:
Japan's military defeat in August 1945 was a happy period in Qi Baishi's life. Beijing had been under siege since 1937; during such unpredictable and difficult times, Qi refused to meet with guests and often made an excuse of his heart problems in 1939. In addition to the problems his country was facing, in his own life Qi was also dealing with personal grief over the passing of his sons and wives. This painting was created in 1946 when Qi was eighty-six, but the wish for peace and a stable life echo louder knowing the loss he had experienced.
This rare work was one of the first paintings by Qi Baishi that the present owner purchased. Qi's genius is manifested in the subject matter, composition and mood of the painting. The apple is a homophone for the word meaning stable, and so conveys a desire for peace and stability. Compared to a painting with the same subject matter on p.98 in Viewing Qi Baishi's Paintings, the sense of space is more compact, as is characteristic of Qi's later works in comparison to the present piece. The lush red apples are round and plump, radiant in a woven basket that balances the single leaf in the corner and the bold calligraphy that fills the top half of the painting.
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Ben Kong
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