Qi Baishi Was born in 1863 to a peasant farmer in the Hunan province. He was too weak to help his family out on his farm so instead, he became a carpenter mastering the fine skills of the job. After his marriage, he decided to become a full-time painter and studied portraits with the famous Xiao Xianghai. Baishi believed that art should be made from things people have all seen before so he decided to make art that all people could enjoy because they have experienced the subject of his painting before. Known mostly for his traditional style of Chinese art using mostly watercolors to depict his subjects. Through his style in painting for the masses Baishi was able to stay true to his values in his art during the very tumultuous late 1800s and early 1900s in China. Using traditional Chinese painting techniques allowed him to remain popular no matter the time period because artists like himself maintained China’s history through extremely tough times.

Chao, Wang. “Qi Baishi.” New World Encyclopedia, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Qi_Baishi#Life. Accessed 9 April 2023.