Qi Baishi: A Master of Chinese Ink Painting

Qi Baishi, born on January 1, 1864, and passed away on September 16, 1957, was a renowned Chinese painter, celebrated for the whimsical and often playful style of his works. Born to a peasant family from Xiangtan, Hunan, Qi taught himself to paint, sparked by the Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden.To get more news about qi baishi, you can visit shine news official website.

Despite his humble origins, Qi Baishi became adept at the arts of poetry, calligraphy, and painting. He started his career as a wood carver and carpenter, occasionally painting subjects common in folk painting and religious topics. His interest in art was sparked by a Chinese manual of painting, which led him to practice his work using performers, mainly opera, for models.

After he turned 40, Qi Baishi began to travel, visiting various scenic spots in China. His travels greatly influenced his art, as he started to paint things that people have seen4. He first studied the “Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden” and used performers, mainly opera, for models to practice his work.

Qi Baishi is best known for his works featuring flowers, trees, and small animals, such as birds, mice, and shrimp. His subjects include almost everything, commonly animals, scenery, figures, toys, vegetables, and so on4. He was also good at seal carving and called himself "the rich man of three hundred stone seals".

In his later years, many of Qi Baishi’s works depict mice, shrimp, or birds. Despite his training in gongbi, Qi is famed for painting in the freely expressive xieyi (‘sketching thoughts’) style. His works were based on his life and his character.

In conclusion, Qi Baishi represents a significant figure in the history of Chinese art. His unique style and commitment to showcasing diverse subjects have contributed to his widespread popularity, making him a beloved part of China’s artistic landscape.