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Lot 1181 |PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE COLLECTION OF FENG WEN TANG (LOTS 1179-1181)
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Flowers and Insects
Closed29 May 2022
Price Realised
HKD 2,142,000
More Information
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Flowers and Insects
Album of six leaves, ink on paper
Each leaf measures 27.4 x 17.7 cm. (10 3⁄4 x 7 in.)
Each leaf inscribed and signed, with a total of eight seals of the artist
One leaf dated fourth month, jiwei year (1919)
Three leaves dedicated to Chen Shizeng (1876-1923)
Titleslip by Chen Shizeng (1876-1923), with one seal
Flowers and Insects
Album of six leaves, ink on paper
Each leaf measures 27.4 x 17.7 cm. (10 3⁄4 x 7 in.)
Each leaf inscribed and signed, with a total of eight seals of the artist
One leaf dated fourth month, jiwei year (1919)
Three leaves dedicated to Chen Shizeng (1876-1923)
Titleslip by Chen Shizeng (1876-1923), with one seal
QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Flowers and Insects
Album of six leaves, ink on paper
Each leaf measures 27.4 x 17.7 cm. (10 3⁄4 x 7 in.)
Each leaf inscribed and signed, with a total of eight seals of the artist
One leaf dated fourth month, jiwei year (1919)
Three leaves dedicated to Chen Shizeng (1876-1923)
Titleslip by Chen Shizeng (1876-1923), with one seal
Flowers and Insects
Album of six leaves, ink on paper
Each leaf measures 27.4 x 17.7 cm. (10 3⁄4 x 7 in.)
Each leaf inscribed and signed, with a total of eight seals of the artist
One leaf dated fourth month, jiwei year (1919)
Three leaves dedicated to Chen Shizeng (1876-1923)
Titleslip by Chen Shizeng (1876-1923), with one seal
Christie’s Hong Kong, The Feng Wen Tang Collection of Chinese Paintings, 2 June 2015, Lot 1243.
Catalogue of Qi Baishi’s Paintings, Volume I, Tianjin People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, July 2006, pp.86-87.
Baishi Liu Yun – Collection of Paintings by Qi Baishi, Volume I, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing, February 2008, pp.30-41, pl.1-6.
Exhibition catalogue of Paintings and Calligraphy by Qi Baishi – The Feng Wen Tang Collection, Christie’s Hong Kong, 2013, pp.120-121, pl.41.
Baishi Liu Yun – Collection of Paintings by Qi Baishi, Volume I, People’s Fine Arts Publishing House, Beijing, February 2008, pp.30-41, pl.1-6.
Exhibition catalogue of Paintings and Calligraphy by Qi Baishi – The Feng Wen Tang Collection, Christie’s Hong Kong, 2013, pp.120-121, pl.41.
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Paintings and Calligraphy by Qi Baishi – The Feng Wen Tang Collection, Christie’s Hong Kong, 21-25 November 2013.
The owner of Feng Wen Tang was a visionary collector with a curious and excited mind. The collector received a progressive and open-minded education and was encouraged to discover art at an early age. She first encountered a reproduction of a Qi Baishi painting at a bookstore when she was in high school. Since then, she began a lifelong journey for her love of Chinese paintings, particularly for Qi Baishi. For over three decades, the collector assembled a spectacular collection of 20th- century Chinese ink paintings, with a strong focus on some of the best Qi Baishi paintings the market has ever seen. Many of these works were from the private collection of the artist Hu Peiheng (1892-1965), one of Qi’s closest friends; many were published by Hu in authoritative catalogues of the artist as early as in the late 1950s, soon after the artist passing.
The two works, Kite Flying and Calligraphy and Hunting, were dedicated to renowned artist, art advocate and promoter Hu Peiheng. Known widely as Leng’an, Hu was a talented painter and a respected connoisseur active in education and publishing. Hu and Qi Baishi first met in the early 20th century; the two instantly became close friends. Hu admired Qi Baishi’s paintings and published his first illustrated catalogue in 1928. Subsequently, Hu opened a bookstore Paowen Zhai in Beijing dedicated to promoting Qi’s art, thus steadily increasing the artist’s popularity and influence. The two men bonded despite their 28 years of an age difference and they remained close friends throughout their lives, so much that Qi Baishi took Hu’s son as his beloved student. After Qi passed away, Hu and his son published Qi Baishi - Painting Techniques and Appreciation in 1959, which became one of the most authoritative literature on the artist. The work Hunting, offered in this collection, is illustrated in this book.
Another influential figure in Qi Baishi’s life was artist Chen Shizeng (1876- 1923). Qi Baishi, having moved to Beijing at the age of 60, did not embark on a successful career as an artist. His paintings did not appear to the local audience; he had difficulty making ends meet. The friendship with Chen Shizeng was a turning point in Qi’s career. Chen candidly advised Qi Baishi to abandon his Bada Shanren-inspired style to paint something different. Upon considering Chen’s advice, Qi Baishi began to paint brightly coloured flowers and insects that would become his most iconic pictures. In 1922, Chen showcased Qi Baishi’s paintings in Japan with overwhelming success. Some of the works shown were further selected to exhibit at the Paris Art Expo. This exciting news travelled to China, where Qi Baishi came to fame at last with his renewed and distinct artistic language. The Flowers and Insects album of six leaves was painted in 1919, soon after Qi Baishi met Chen Shizeng. Qi painted the work entirely in ink, employing his “old style” before gaining great commercial success. The album was in Chen’s collection for a long time as a witness to their long friendship.
The two works, Kite Flying and Calligraphy and Hunting, were dedicated to renowned artist, art advocate and promoter Hu Peiheng. Known widely as Leng’an, Hu was a talented painter and a respected connoisseur active in education and publishing. Hu and Qi Baishi first met in the early 20th century; the two instantly became close friends. Hu admired Qi Baishi’s paintings and published his first illustrated catalogue in 1928. Subsequently, Hu opened a bookstore Paowen Zhai in Beijing dedicated to promoting Qi’s art, thus steadily increasing the artist’s popularity and influence. The two men bonded despite their 28 years of an age difference and they remained close friends throughout their lives, so much that Qi Baishi took Hu’s son as his beloved student. After Qi passed away, Hu and his son published Qi Baishi - Painting Techniques and Appreciation in 1959, which became one of the most authoritative literature on the artist. The work Hunting, offered in this collection, is illustrated in this book.
Another influential figure in Qi Baishi’s life was artist Chen Shizeng (1876- 1923). Qi Baishi, having moved to Beijing at the age of 60, did not embark on a successful career as an artist. His paintings did not appear to the local audience; he had difficulty making ends meet. The friendship with Chen Shizeng was a turning point in Qi’s career. Chen candidly advised Qi Baishi to abandon his Bada Shanren-inspired style to paint something different. Upon considering Chen’s advice, Qi Baishi began to paint brightly coloured flowers and insects that would become his most iconic pictures. In 1922, Chen showcased Qi Baishi’s paintings in Japan with overwhelming success. Some of the works shown were further selected to exhibit at the Paris Art Expo. This exciting news travelled to China, where Qi Baishi came to fame at last with his renewed and distinct artistic language. The Flowers and Insects album of six leaves was painted in 1919, soon after Qi Baishi met Chen Shizeng. Qi painted the work entirely in ink, employing his “old style” before gaining great commercial success. The album was in Chen’s collection for a long time as a witness to their long friendship.