Drawing inspiration from a city
Qi Baishi initially felt overwhelmed in the capital but exhibition celebrates his influence, Lin Qi reports.
If the charismatic Qi was alive today, he would likely share a love for the growing trend of city walking, particularly as he celebrated his wandering around the city's streets in his art.
Details of this life can be seen in Qi Baishi in Beijing, an exhibition on at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, which runs until March 30.
The exhibition, which celebrates the artist's 160th birth anniversary, includes some 200 paintings, pieces of calligraphy, seals, photos, manuscripts and documents, together with animations and digital re-enactments, presents a picture of the varied nature of Qi's life and work in the decades after he moved to Beijing in 1919.
The objects on show have been taken from the collections of several museums and cultural institutions.
The curatorial team includes the members of the Capital Museum, which administers the Grand Canal Museum, the Beijing Fine Art Academy, and Rongbaozhai, a historical shop and atelier to the west of Beijing's Liulichang Street.
Qi was the first — and so far the only — honorary director of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, which was established in 1957. It has a collection of his work, donated by Qi himself, as well as by members of his family, and close associates.
