QI BAISHI: prints. Peking, Rongbao Zhai, 1951. One volume. - Lot 139

QI BAISHI: prints. Peking, Rongbao Zhai, 1951. One volume. 21.5 by 31.5 cm. (4) pages- 40 color prints. Paperback, bound in the Chinese style (accordion paper, and string to bind the pages). In a cardboard slipcase covered with full silk with Chinese motifs (fantastical animals and snakes), with a traditional closure by two bone needles. Slight, discreet foxing on the title of the slipcase, and on the vertical edge (without spilling over onto the prints), tiny cut on the cover, otherwise perfect condition. "QI Baishi (1864-1957) was an influential Chinese painter of the modern period. The man who signed his paintings as "Hermit of the White Stone", "Old Man Water Lens" or "Unattached Servant, Temporary Dweller of Mirages" modernized the gongbi style of classical Chinese painting. QI was the son of a peasant from Xiangtan, Hunan province. The artist began painting at the age of 14, and in 1904 embarked on a tour of China's famous landscapes, where he gained great renown. In 1917, Qi Baishi moved to Beijing. Elected to the National People's Congress in 1953, he was the first president of the Chinese Artists' Association." An artist recognized by the Chinese authorities, he nonetheless developed a highly personal and rich style... Rare book.