Chinese Painting

This work exemplifies Qi Baishi’s mature technique in painting shrimp. His approach evolved over decades, from early realism to a refined abstraction, achieving a balance between likeness and unlikeness.

Painted in the summer of 1945, this work dates to Zhang Daqian’s mature period in Chengdu. The artist depicts a lotus pond with bold ink washes for the leaves and a combination of boneless and outline techniques for the five-color lotus blossoms.

Northern Song handscroll copy by Emperor Huizong (r. 1100–1126) after the lost Tang original by Zhang Xuan. Ink and color on silk; depicts court women pounding, winding, ironing, and sewing silk in three narrative groups. Boston Museum of Fine Arts collection.