Page 191 - Christie's Fine Chinese Modern and Contemporary Ink Paintings hk may 226 27 2021

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QI BAISHI (1863-1957)
Insects and Bodhi Leaves
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
107 x 34.2 cm. (42 ¿ x 13 Ω in.)
Inscribed, with three seals of the artist
NOTE:
The insect paintings of Qi Baishi were inspired by his rural experience
as a youth and his superb skill in sketching. Qi was born to a family
of farmers in Xiangtan County, Hunan Province. His early life in
the rural countryside enabled him to observe the postures of various
insects. After moving to Beijing, he continued to keep grasshoppers,
bees, butterflies and other insects as pets at home. These insects
became the source of Qi Baishi's sketches. Through observation and
consideration of their subtle details, he grasped the most vivid gestures
of the insects.
According to Hu Peiheng, Qi Baishi created the genre of “Insect
and Bodhi Leaves” painting after the age of sixty. During his travels
in Guangxi and Guangdong, he saw the delicate withered bodhi tree
leaves. He collected and admired them frequently, thus creating the
painting method of bodhi tree leaves. The methodology involves first
outlining the visible veins with a fine brush, he would then add the
small netted veins, and finally, he would apply light colours to stain
the leaves.

HK$5,000,000-7,000,000 US$650,000-900,000

齊白石 貝葉草蟲 設色紙本 鏡框
題識：八十八歲老人製於燕京城西太平橋外。
鈐印：齊白石、齊璜老手、雕蟲小技家聲
註：白石老人的草蟲畫是來自他年少時農村生活的體會和他寫生的
功夫。他出生於湖南湘潭縣農民家庭，鄉間生活讓他能夠仔細觀察
各種蟲類動態。移居北京後，他在家一直養蚱蜢、蜜蜂、蝴蝶等各
種昆蟲。這些草蟲也成為齊白石寫生繪畫的天然題材。透過仔細觀
察、對牠們微細末節琢磨透徹，他抓住草蟲最生動的姿態，加以取
捨，並大膽創作出來，確實是“為萬蟲寫照”。
據胡佩衡記載，老人創造貝葉草蟲是六十歲以後的事。他遊歷廣東
廣西時，看到凋落的菩提樹葉極具畫意，特地收集下來經常欣賞，
從而創造出貝葉的畫法。他用極細的筆先把葉的主筋畫出，然後再
添像紗一般的網狀脈，最後再薄施淡彩而成。

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