Qi Baishi (1864-1957): Chinese Ink Painting in the Qing Dynasty (Sales totaling $329 million)

A work by Qi Baishi [Photo: arts.cultural-china.com]

Qi Baishi is an influential Chinese painter and seal carver of the 20th century, renowned for his whimsical watercolor paintings. His style was greatly influenced by a famous painter named Bada Shanren, also known as Zhu Da, of the early Qing Dynasty and Xu Wei, an artist of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The subjects of his paintings cover everything from animals, scenery, figures and toys, to vegetables. In later years, he was especially fond of depicting mice, shrimp or birds.