Artist: Qi Baishi 齊白石 (1864 - 1957)Bird and Palm TreeInk and color on paper, Ersebiao mount, Jingyan on top, Vertical Axis Hanging scrollPainting (Sight): Length: 68 cm, Width: 30 cmSigned/Seal(s): Signed, with Artist's seal Provenance: The Exceptional Collections of Lieutenant General Cai Wenzhi 蔡文治 (1911 - January 9, 1994), Courtesy Name: Dingwu 定武, Spouse: Madame Wu Peiqi 吳佩琪 (Wu Peifu's 吳佩孚's younger sister). Cai Wenzhi born in Huanggang County, Hubei Province (Xinzhou District, Wuhan City). Graduated from the ninth period of the Whampoa Military Academy and the thirteenth period of the Army University. Lieutenant General of the National Revolutionary Army.For more information about General Cai Wenzhi 蔡文治, please follow this link: http://www.LaurenAuctions.com/CaiWenzhi/The collections of General Cai Wenzhi 蔡文治 presented and offered up to auctions from Lot-97 to Lot-157ARTIST BIO: Qi Baishi 齊白石 (1864 - 1957) was one of the most well-known contemporary Chinese painters. His original name is Qi Huang and style name Weiqing. Baishi ("white stone") is one of his pseudonyms. Some of Qi's major influences include the Ming Dynasty artist Xu Wei and the early Qing Dynasty painter Zhu Da. The subjects of his paintings include almost everything, commonly animals, scenery, figures, vegetables, and so on. In his later years, many of his works depict mice, shrimps, or birds. Qi Baishi is particularly known for painting shrimps. Born to a peasant from Xiangtan, Hunan, Qi became a carpenter at fourteen, and it was largely through his own efforts that he became adept at the arts of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal-carving. In his forties, Qi Baishi began traveling and looking for more inspiration. He came upon the Shanghai School, which was very popular at the time, and met Wu Changshuo who then became another mentor to him and inspired a lot of his works. Another influence of Qi Baishi came about fifteen years later, as Qi became close to Chen Shizeng after he settled down in Beijing. Qi Baishi theorized that "paintings must be something between likeness and unlikeness." His prodigious output reflects a diversity of interests and experience, generally focusing on the smaller things of the world rather than the large landscape. Shrimp, fish, crabs, frogs, insects, and peaches were his favorite subjects. Using heavy ink, bright colors, and vigorous strokes, he created works of a fresh and lively manner that expressed his love of nature and life. In 1953 Qi Baishi was elected to the president of the Association of Chinese Artists. He was active to the end of his long life and served briefly as the honorary president of the Beijing Academy of Chinese Painting, which was founded in May 1957. He died in Beijing on September 16, 1957.品相报告: Over all in EXCELLENT Condition. Natural imperfection on the medium (paper or silk), regardless from any major damages; includes light blooms, discoloration and minor fading. Consider normal due to the ages. Frame with normal anomalies in nature, sign of stressed surface, minor scratch & dents. Surface traced wear and or declined to gilding. Normal, consider ages and wear. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. LAUREN Auctions Galleries shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.