China. Ink and watercolors on paper, with a silk brocade frame and mounted as a hanging scroll. Depicting chrysanthemums, virtuously painted in bright tones of pink and yellow, below two small crickets, and with a crisply executed inscription. The hardwood scroll handles with distinct ‘crabs claw’ marks, indicating that they are carved from zitan wood.

Expert’s note: In 1919, when Qi Baishi was 57, he moved to Beijing, trying to make a living by selling his paintings and carving seals. He became friends with Chen Shizeng (1876-1923), who convinced him to fundamentally change the style of his work, which was selling poorly as it failed to win local favor. His new and unique approach of strong color contrasts became popular quickly and has influenced generations of painters ever after. Qi claimed that flowers, insects and birds are inseparable subject matters. They are also the most numerous and representative subjects among Qi's body of works - "When depicting flowers one must also add insects or birds to give life and invigorate the painting." Qi outlines the delicate veins of the chrysanthemum leaves with scrupulously painted brushstrokes, rendering them almost translucent. The chrysanthemum flowers, in contrast, are painted with powerful, firm and broad strokes, somewhat reminding viewers of Qi’s humble origin as a calligrapher and seal carver. Qi positioned two insects in the void of the painting, with space for viewers to appreciate the form of these small creatures. His insects are meticulously and accurately depicted, the result of rigorous sketching and prolonged observation and study. Even before Qi began to paint insects prolifically, the artist kept insects and small animals at his home, where he would watch their body movements. Qi set the painting at the end of the summer, when the chrysanthemum flowers are still in full splendor but the foliage has already started to wilt very slightly, using harmonious hues of gray, green and ochre, signifying the change of season. Qi Baishi's incorporation of insects remains innovative to this day and represents a pinnacle in his later artistic career.

Inscriptions: Upper right ‘To Mr. Zhuren by Baishi Laoren at the age of 87 years’, two seals ‘Qi Baishi’ and ‘Lao Mu’. Lower left, one seal, ‘Qianshanguan’. Paper label to one wood handle, ‘Baishi, Chrysanthemum and Cricket’.

Provenance: From an important American collection.
Condition: Excellent condition with some wear, minor soiling to the mounting, little foxing, the watercolors slightly rubbing off onto the backside of the scroll. Small chips to the wood handles.

Dimensions: Image size 103.5 x 33.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 208.5 x 49.5 cm

Qi Baishi (1864-1957) is one of the world’s most important artists of the 20th century and has received countless honors and awards like no other painter in the People's Republic of China. He began his career as a carpenter, though he taught himself to paint using a manual from the Qin dynasty period. His style, which Qi Baishi developed in the second half of his life, is characterized by a powerful, spontaneous brushstroke. He expanded his subject matter to insects, birds, figures, animals, vegetation, and landscapes, and began to incorporate rich color into his compositions, painting in an ever-freer style. His works are focused on the spiritual, ephemeral, and mystical qualities of the human condition. In 1953, he was elected president of the China Artists Association, and one year later he was elected to the National People’s Congress.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 3 April 2017, lot 1371
Price: HKD 1,500,000 or approx. EUR 205,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Qi Baishi, Chrysanthemums and Dragonflies

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 September 2015, lot 687
Price: USD 237,500 or approx. EUR 289,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Chrysanthemums and Insects

齊白石款《菊花蟋蟀》，1951年
中國，紙本設色，絹本掛軸。菊花畫得幽美秀麗，能把秋意描繪盡致。菊花花叢下兩隻蟋蟀只用簡單幾筆墨道鉤出，異常生動，尤其是大腿的肥健，觸鬚的細長挺秀。不但逼真，而且更顯出筆力來。

專家注釋：1919年，齊白石57歲時移居北京，靠賣畫、刻印為生。齊白石擅畫花鳥、蟲魚、山水、人物，筆墨雄渾滋潤，色彩濃豔明快，造型簡練生動，意境淳厚樸實。所作魚蝦蟲蟹，天趣橫生。其書工篆隸，取法於秦漢碑版，行書饒古拙之趣。齊認為花、蟲、鳥是密不可分的題材。它們也是齊氏作品中數量最多、最具代表性的題材——“畫花須加蟲鳥，以生生不息”。齊以一絲不苟的筆觸勾勒出菊花葉的精緻葉脈，是半透明的。相比之下，菊花的筆觸有力、堅定。齊白石將兩隻昆蟲放置在畫面的留白處，留給觀者欣賞這些小生物形態的空間。他對昆蟲的描繪細緻而準確，是嚴謹的素描和長期觀察研究的結果。他在家裡養了昆蟲和小動物，在那裡他會觀察它們的身體動作。齊將這幅畫定於夏末，此時菊花依舊盛放，枝葉已開始微微枯萎，灰綠赭色調和，寓意季節更替。齊白石對昆蟲的融入至今仍具有創新性，是其後期藝術生涯的巔峰之作。

款識：鑄人先生正，八十七歲白石老人作
鈴印：齊白石，老木，潛山舘

來源：美國重要收藏。
品相：狀況極佳，有一些磨損、褐變和污漬。水彩滲透到卷軸的背面。木柄上有小磕損。

尺寸：畫面103.5 x 33.5 厘米，總208.5 x 49.5 厘米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2017年4月3日，lot 1371
價格：HKD 1,500,000（相當於今日EUR 205,500）
描述：齊白石《菊花蜻蜓》

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2015年9月17日，lot 687
價格：USD 237,500（相當於今日EUR 289,500）
描述：齊白石《菊花與蟲》