Mr. Qi Baishi’s “Four Wonders” refer to his paintings, seals, books and poems.
Painting: Qi Baishi advocated that art is "beautiful between similarity and dissimilarity". He adopted the reform method in his later years and formed a unique freehand Chinese painting style, with red flowers and ink leaves, especially melons, fruits, vegetables, flowers, birds, insects and fish. Unique in his craftsmanship, he also painted figures and landscapes, and was famous for a while. Together with Wu Changshuo, he enjoyed the reputation of "Southern Wu and Northern Qi". With the integration of Qi Baishi's simple folk art style and the traditional literati painting style, he reached the level of modern Chinese flower-and-bird painting. The highest peak.
Seal: Qi Baishi first learned seal cutting from Ding Jing and Huang Xiaosong, and later imitated Zhao Jushu and took the Fahan seal; see the "Stele of Sacrifice to Sangong Mountain" and "Stele of Tianfa God's Prophecy". The sealing method changed again and again. The sealing style is majestic and unrestrained, and he is a representative figure in the period of evolution of sealing style in modern times.
Calligraphy: Qi Baishi's calligraphy is widely used in inscriptions and inscriptions. He Shaoji, Li Beihai, Jin Dongxin and Zheng Banqiao are especially good at seal script and running script.
Poetry: Qi Baishi's poems do not seek neatness, nor do they care about the Tang and Song Dynasties. They follow the natural method, write spiritually, and have a unique style.
Extended information:
Qi Baishi (January 1, 1864-September 16, 1957), whose ancestral home is Dangshan, Suzhou, Anhui, was born in Xiangtan, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan (today's Xiangtan, Hunan) . The original name is Chunzhi, with the courtesy name Weiqing and the nickname Lanting. Later he changed his name to Huang, with the courtesy name Binsheng, and his nicknames include Baishi, Baishishanweng, Laoping, Hungry Sou, the owner of the Yishan Yin Pavilion, the old man in Jiping Hall, and the rich man with three hundred stone seals.
Qi Baishi is a master of modern Chinese painting and a world cultural celebrity. He worked as a carpenter in his early years and later made a living by selling paintings. He settled in Beijing when he was fifty-seven. He is good at painting flowers and birds, insects and fish, landscapes and figures. His pen and ink are vigorous and moist, the colors are bright and bright, the shapes are concise and vivid, and the artistic conception is honest and simple. The fish, shrimps, insects and crabs created are full of natural interest.
Qi Baishi, a calligrapher and seal engraver, took his method from the Qin and Han dynasties. He once served as honorary professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chairman of the Chinese Artists Association. His representative works include "The Sound of Frogs Ten Miles Out of a Mountain Spring" and "Ink Shrimp". He is the author of "Baishi Poems" and "The Narrative of the Old Man Baishi".
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Qi Baishi (Master of Modern Chinese Painting)