Plum Blossoms
This painting of a mauve blossoming plum is unusual in Qi Baishi's oeuvre because Qi loved the cheerfulness of bright red and usually painted plum blossoms in that color. The pendant branches intersect with one another, forming an abstract network of calligraphic lines that is barely organic. Qi Baishi's later plum paintings are primarily inspired by Wu Changshuo (1844–1927), who introduced an epigraphic aesthetic to the art of painting. In this work, the absence of spatial depth, the even width and smooth turns of the twigs, and the pronounced parallelism of the interlaced branches attest to Qi's indebtedness to Wu as well as his solid discipline in seal-carving and epigraphy. Qi's paintings are first of all reflections of things and feelings that he had personally experienced in life. In the case of plum blossoms, his fondness of this subject resulted from nostalgia for his hometown in Hunan, where his dwelling, named "Studio of Hundred Plums," was surrounded by a plum grove.
Artwork Details
- 現代 齊白石 紅梅圖 軸
- Title: Plum Blossoms
- Artist: Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957)
- Date: dated 1950
- Culture: China
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 27 1/8 x 13 5/8 in. (68.9 x 34.6 cm)
Overall with mounting: 88 1/4 x 20 7/8 in. (224.2 x 53 cm)
Overall with knobs: 88 1/4 x 24 1/4 in. (224.2 x 61.6 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Lin Yutang Family Collection, Gift of Richard M. Lai, Jill Lai Miller, and Larry C. Lai, in memory of Taiyi Lin Lai, 2005
- Object Number: 2005.509.1
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Qi Baishi
20th century
Qi Baishi
20th century
Qi Baishi
20th century
Qi Baishi
dated 1920
Qi Baishi
undated
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.