Qi Baishi, one of the most high-profile painters in history, is a unique and deeply rooted painter whose work still has a wide and far-reaching influence both domestically and internationally.
Qi Baishi's "Ploughing Ox" is known as one of his masterpieces, and this painting has won praise for its unique artistic conception and image. Qi Lao pursues a kind of blank beauty in "Ploughing the Ox", so that people can feel the reverie of art while appreciating the picture.
The painting was sold at auction for 7.64 million, while the version copied by his female ** Guo Xiuyi was only sold for 630,000. Although the two paintings are very different, they both reflect the charm and artistic value of Qi Baishi's painting.
It turned out that when Qi Baishi painted this "Ploughing Ox", he used an innovative perspective method to make the picture more three-dimensional and realistic, but Guo Xiuyi did not master this technique, so her copy work lacks this uniqueness compared with her master's original work.
Therefore, although Guo Xiuyi's painting skills are exquisite, there is still a big gap between her ** and her master Qi Baishi.
Guo Xiuyi took it upon herself to add the reflection of the peasants and the ploughing cattle to Qi Baishi's "Picture of Ploughing Ox", which she felt was the part that the teacher had missed. However, when her work was auctioned, it was more than seven million higher than Mr. Qi's original.
Although in our ordinary understanding, there should be a reflection in the water, Guo Xiuyi's modification seems to have its rationality.
Why didn't Master Qi Baishi paint reflections? It's not that he forgot to paint, but his understanding and observation of things are very comprehensive and meticulous, and his perception in daily life has reached a state of transcendence, so he does not deliberately make up the reflection when painting.
Mr. Qi's paintings have always focused on artistic conception, which he believes is the soul of art. However, when Ms. Kwok copied his paintings, she added reflections, which changed the original artistic conception.
This seemingly small change makes Ms. Guo's paintings lack the beauty of observation of life, and appear inferior to Mr. Qi's original works. Recalling the story of Qi Baishi, in 1870, when he was just a child, he followed his grandfather Zhou Yuruo to learn to read.
However, a year later, due to the poverty of his family, Qi Baishi had to give up his studies, returned home, and began a life of herding cattle and chopping wood. Despite the hardships of life, he did not give up his pursuit of art, which is one of the important reasons why he later became a great painter.
As a child, Qi Baishi was fond of painting, and he would use his spare time to paint people, flowers, and animals. He has a flexible mind and a keen eye for drawing, and has mastered various drawing techniques at a young age.
He also worked in the carpentry industry, making a living from it and making a name for himself in the village. His work is innovative and he is adept at incorporating his ideas into them in a clever way.
We can see this in his woodworking carvings, and likewise, his paintings are imbued with this innovative spirit. At first, he just casually incorporated ideas into his sculptures, but unexpectedly they were widely welcomed.
During that period, Qi Baishi developed a strong interest in painting, especially some of the Chinese paintings he was exposed to in his early years, which had many similarities with the techniques depicted in the carving process.
However, despite his passion for it, in those days there was no one to teach him to draw, nor did he have access to more high-level paintings, so his painting was still in its infancy.
However, none of this could stop Qi Baishi's passion for painting. At the age of 21, while working at his employer's house, he stumbled upon a set of paintings called "Mustard Seed Garden", which opened the door to a new world for him and rekindled his passion for painting.
Qi Baishi copied "The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Biography" for half a year, and his skills increased greatly. Later, he worshipped Xiao Qianchen as a teacher and learned to paint portraits. In 1889, he studied with Hu Qinyuan, received guidance, ended his carpentry career, and concentrated on painting and painting portraits to support his family.
Hu Qinyuan's influence on Qi Baishi was far-reaching, and he was not only Qi Baishi's mentor, but also a beacon in his artistic career. Hu Qinyuan's guidance brought Qi Baishi's artistic achievements to a new level and had a significant impact on his life.
Qi Baishi's attainments in painting are particularly prominent, he is good at depicting flowers, figures, landscapes and other themes, his brushwork is smooth and natural, the use of color is just right, and the paintings he creates are vivid, full of interest, and the artistic conception is also very far-reaching.
His work is vivid and full of charm.
Qi Baishi's subordinates accepted women**, Guo Xiuyi played a pioneering role in the **women's movement, and was the virtuous assistant of the patriotic Huang Qixiang. During the war, Guo Xiuyi took practical actions to help women and children in distress, bringing a positive impact on society.
She was passionate about painting and studied with Qi Baishi for six years.
Guo Xiuyi had the privilege of studying with the master painter Qi Baishi, which made her feel extremely happy. She is like a sprout that has broken out of the ground, greedily absorbing Qi Baishi's years of painting techniques and meanings.
In the process of studying, she is good at applying the knowledge she has learned to actual creation, forming her own unique painting style. Even Qi Baishi highly praised her painting skills, which undoubtedly proves that Guo Xiuyi has a high talent for painting and that she is very diligent.
Kwok has an extraordinary talent for painting, and she is diligent and studious. Her work is imbued with the charm of Qi Baishi, and if you look at it without a knowledge of painting, it may be difficult to recognize her style.
It is precisely because of this master-apprentice experience that the 92-year-old Mr. Qi personally painted a "Farming Cow" and gave it to Mr. Huang Qixiang as his birthday gift.
Huang Qixiang not only received a painting from Qi Baishi because he was Guo Xiuyi's husband, but also because of his incomparable loyalty and selfless dedication to the war of resistance. He stood up in the midst of war, did not flinch, and courageously helped those who were suffering.
Qi Baishi deeply appreciated Huang Qixiang's spirit and presented him with a "Picture of a Ploughing Cow" as a birthday gift. The painting, which depicts a farmer pulling cattle in the water, is full of the vitality and prosperity of rural life, just like Huang Qixiang's heroic spirit and selfless dedication.
When Guo Xiuyi copied her teacher's paintings, why did it backfire? It turned out that in Qi Baishi's "Ploughing Ox Picture", the farmer and the cow were wearing robes, because he wanted to tell us that it was raining that day.
When it rains, the light is not noticeable compared to sunny weather, so it's normal to see no reflection in the water. This grasp of details fully reflects Qi Baishi's observation and unique insights into life as a master of painting.
Qi Baishi, the master of painting who shook an era, in his "Ploughing Ox", we can appreciate his unique artistic cognition. What sets him apart from others is that he has a deeper grasp of details and a more precise understanding of the same thing.
This is what makes his paintings unique.