China, 20th century. Ink on paper, mounted on paper as a hanging scroll. Depicting a rake and bearing powerful calligraphy. Inscribed: Qi Huang and Bai shi Shan Weng, dated: Ding mao: 1927, 1rst artist's seal: Lao Bai, 2nd artist's seal: Mu Ren, 3rd artist's seal: Bai Shi.

Condition: Good condition, minor creases and soiling.
Provenance: Austrian private collection.

Dimensions: Total size 203 x 46 cm

Qi Baishi (1864-1957) is one of the world's most important artists of the 20th century and has received countless honors and awards like no other painter in the People's Republic of China. He began his career as a carpenter, though he taught himself to paint using a manual from the Qin dynasty period. His style, which Qi Baishi developed in the second half of his life, is characterized by a powerful, spontaneous brushstroke. He expanded his subject matter to insects, birds, figures, animals, vegetation, and landscapes, and began to incorporate rich color into his compositions, painting in an ever-freer style. His works are focused on the spiritual, ephemeral, and mystical qualities of the human condition. In 1953, he was elected president of the China Artists Association, and one year later he was elected to the National People's Congress.