QI BAISHI (1863-1957)

QI BAISHI (1863-1957) Spring Scenery Painting: hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper 152.4 x 70 cm. (60 x 27 1/2 in.) Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist Calligraphy by Hu Tuo: scroll, mounted and framed, ink on paper 19 x 82.5 cm. (7 1/2 x 32 1/2 in.) Signed, with two seals of the artist, dated spring, gengwu year (1990) Note: Qi Baishi was an admirer of Xu Wei, Bada Shanren and Shitao. He wrote, "As for Qingteng (Xu Wei), Xuege (Bada Shanren), Dadizhi (Shitao), people may just dismiss their work, or even see it as insignificant as sketch paper. But I stand just outside their doors, pining for their works; even if I am hungry, I feel joy in the expectation of seeing their masterpieces." One can observe his open adoration towards the three painters despite the fact that their works had not yet received wider acceptance by the populace. In many aspects Qi's landscape painting emulates that of Shitao, through easy, simple strokes and by using the perception of depth to emphasize the importance and eclipse the trivial. Qi aimed to recreate scenes that lie between likeness and unlikeness, harkening back to a poem of Shitao: Like Dong YuanM like Mi Fu, between likeness and unlikeness, Painters are like autumn mountains after rain, cleansing the mountains and giving them new life. From present painters to old masters, who innovates and who impersonates? Weave through paintings and through time, and let the strength of one's brush provide the answer. (2)