Artist of the People

Shrimps by Qi Baishi

Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was a famous painter whose life of nearly 100 years spanned two centuries. 　　

Qi Baishi was a native of Xiangtan, Hunan Province . His original name was Azhi, which he changed to Qi Huang. His family was very poor when he was young and he studied only at home with private tutors for a few years. He then stayed at home to cut firewood, herd cattle and do farm work.

Long Melons

At the age of 12, he learned carpentry and then wood carving to help support his family when he was 15. He accidentally got hold of a copy of the Painting Book of the Jiezi Garden and repeatedly copied the paintings in the book to teach himself basic painting skills.

Roosters

At the age of 27, he adopted Hu Qinyuan as his teacher, who taught him painting, seal cutting, poetry and literature. He made quick progress by diligent study. Then Qi spent seven years traveling the beautiful mountains and rivers of the country and making many friends, which broadened his views and changed his artistic concepts. He matured from a carpenter to a folk painter and finally to a famous artist of considerable culture.　

Sweet-Scented Osmanthus　

Qi Baishi settled in Beijing after he was 60. He adopted the advice of his friend, Chen Shizeng, and changed his painting style from a meticulous approach to free sketching, thus forming his own painting style. At the age of 90, he was honored as "People's Artist" by the Chinese Ministry of Culture , and was selected chairman of the Chinese Artists' Association. In 1956 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize by the United Nations and later, after his death, was listed as a world cultural celebrity.

Red Leaves

Qi Baishi made great accomplishments in painting, calligraphy, seal cutting, poetry and literature. His free-hand flower and bird paintings drew on the painting techniques of Xu Wei, Zhu Da, the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou and Wu Changshuo, thus showing his solid cultural foundation. Meanwhile, he fused Chinese farmers' lives and sentiments in his paintings; he drew mice, oil lanterns, abacuses, hoes and rakes in his pictures to reveal the farmers' simple and innocent attributes. He broke through the traditional Chinese painting notion of the bamboo symbolizing modesty and the orchid indicating delicacy.

Gourds

In his painting Chess Game in Bamboo Garden, he drew the chess board and the muck-rake together, a combination which was not seen in previous paintings by any literati artist. Qi Baishi had gone through dramatic changes to become a learned painter. His paintings vividly communicate rural life interests and atmosphere, bringing new content to Chinese literati painting and opening a new chapter in the development of Chinese free sketch flower and bird painting.

Pumpkins

Qi Baishi's paintings have won great favor among the Chinese people because he reflected their national sentiments and criticized malpractice. After the War of Resistance against Japan broke out in 1937, Qi Baishi locked himself up in his room, refusing to draw photo sketches for Japanese military officers. He would rather go hungry than lose his national integrity. He drew the painting Mice to satirize the Japanese invaders and wrote several poems to express his anger.

Dragonflies

To criticize the corruption and tyranny of the Kuomintang gover-nment, he drew a tumbler and a crab inscribed with the sentence "See how long can you run wild." After the founding of the People's Republic of China he painted the picture Long Live My Homeland. During the war to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea, Qi drew the pigeon, symbolizing peace, and sold it for charity.

Mandarine Ducks

He used paintings to express his love for his country, an approach which was completely different from the detached life perspective of previous literati painters. His paintings are filled with a happy, vigorous, humorous and self-confident life attitude.