A Study On The Characteristics Of Flower And Bird Painting

QíBáishí is a painter active during the historic turbulence of late Qing a nd early republican period of China. He left behind a lot of works from as diver se materials as any other painters in the Chinese painting history for almost o ne century. He was born to a poor farming family and did not receive no regul ar education. However, Qí learned the basics of painting for himself while wor king as a carpenter and from other painting folks. During his life he had 6 teac hers, numerous friendships and 7 years of overseas trips to renew his art wor ks over and over until he overcame typical convention and created own origin al painting style in paintings reflecting contemporary trends.This research seeks to examine QíBáishí’s creative artistic motivations such as his art spirit, sensible character, child-like innocence, affection for life, yearning for hometown and understanding of life in the context of the situations of his time, life and his works of art. QíBáishí is a master of Chinese traditional paintings. He is a versatile artist excellent at poem, writing, seal engraving, flower painting, grass and insects painting, and figure painting. He introduced noble and transcendental literary paintings to popular arts with his peasant-oriented spirit and emotions, affection to rural life, boundless love for nature and ceaseless sketching and research, culminating the neo literary painting style leading to the modern and contemporary art of Chinese painting. QíBáishí could become a great painter of the day from being one of the ordinary masters because he succeeded traditional literature paintings, broke through the outdated forms of literature painting, succeeded traditional folk paintings and overcame the low elements of folk art at the same time. He presented a new life to art by introducing the metaphysical ideas and high spirits of literature art and the personification thereof as well as the plainness, robustness, innocence and humors of folk art altogether. Qí focused on the sound vitality of paintings, profound humanitarian spirit, genuine lover for nature, wisdom and ability to help make traditional painting stand tall back again in the 20 th century. In this sense, it seems more appropriate to call him as a pioneer who supported strongly the traditional paintings instead of calling him as the last flame of traditional paintings. Such drive and frontiering of QíBáishí are the result of historic coincidents such as the then social environments, conditions of the time and Qí’s personal conditions.