1950 QI BAISHI CHRYSANTHEMUMS PAINTING

拍品描述

Artist: Qi Baishi (1864-1957) CHRYSANTHEMUMS This elegant vertical composition depicts several blossoming chrysanthemums rising among dense foliage. Brilliant red, pink, and white flowers emerge from clusters of blue-green leaves, while dark branches create a dynamic structural framework throughout the composition. A small insect perched upon a stem adds a lively natural detail, reinforcing the artist?s close observation of the natural world.The work demonstrates Qi Baishis mastery of combining vigorous ink outlines with expressive color. The chrysanthemum blossoms are rendered with layered, radiating petals that convey both volume and freshness, while the leaves are executed with broad, simplified brushstrokes that create rhythmic movement and visual balance. The contrast between the dark branches and luminous flowers heightens the decorative and pictorial effect.Chrysanthemums occupy a special place in Chinese artistic tradition, symbolizing longevity, integrity, and the virtues of the cultivated scholar. Their autumn blooming season further associates them with perseverance and resilience. Qi Baishi frequently employed such traditional subjects while infusing them with his own distinctive artistic language, combining folk vitality with literati elegance.The accompanying inscription records the painting as a gift to a friend and is dated when the artist was eighty-nine years old, placing the work within his late period. Paintings from this mature stage are especially admired for their confidence, simplicity, and expressive power. This work exemplifies Qi Baishis ability to transform a traditional floral subject into a vivid and highly personal artistic statement, embodying the qualities that established him as one of the greatest painters of twentieth-century China. Ink and color on paper, Yisebiao mount, Vertical Axis Hanging Scroll Painting (Sight): 121cm H x 33cm W Dated: In The Baishi's Eighty-Seventh years of age (1950) Signed/Seal(s): Signed, with a seal PROVENANCE: Acquired from a prominent collector, representing an important private collections. The collections presented and offered up to auctions from Lot 25 through Lot 136; and additional related documents and or manuscripts from Lot 137 to Lot 228. Wei Tao-Ming (Wei Daoming), (October 28, 1899 - May 18, 1978) was a prominent Chinese diplomat, statesman, and senior official of the Republic of China. Born in Jiangxi Province, he studied law in the United States and became active in the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek. During the Second World War, Wei served as the Republic of China's Ambassador to the United States from 1942 to 1946, playing an important role in strengthening Sino-American relations during the Allied war effort. He later held several key government positions, including Governor of Taiwan Province (1947-1949), Ambassador to Japan, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China from 1966 to 1971. Wei remained an influential figure in Chinese diplomacy throughout the mid-twentieth century and was closely involved in the Republic of China's international affairs during a period of major political transition in East Asia. ARTIST BIO: Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was one of the most celebrated Chinese painters of the twentieth century and is widely regarded as a master of modern Chinese ink painting. Born into a peasant family in Xiangtan, Hunan province, he was largely self-taught and initially worked as a carpenter before devoting himself entirely to painting, seal carving, and calligraphy.Drawing inspiration from nature and everyday life, Qi developed a highly personal artistic style characterized by bold brushwork, simplified forms, and vibrant color. He became especially renowned for his depictions of shrimp, crabs, insects, birds, flowers, vegetables, and other humble subjects, transforming ordinary objects into lively and poetic images.Qi Baishi advocated the principle that painting should balance resemblance and abstraction, famously stating that ?too much likeness becomes vulgar, while too little becomes deceptive.? His works combine the expressive spirit of literati painting with the vitality of folk art, creating an artistic language that is both sophisticated and accessible.In addition to his achievements as a painter, Qi was an accomplished calligrapher and seal carver. His seal designs and inscriptions often form an integral part of his compositions, contributing to their overall rhythm and character. During his lifetime he received widespread recognition, including honors from the Chinese government, and his works continue to command strong interest among collectors and museums worldwide.

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