Shirmp Fun

1951

Qi Baishi

Ink on paper

83×45cm

Collection of the Beijing Fine Art Academy

Shirmp Fun is a work by the Chinese painter Qi Baishi during his later years around the age of 75. The painting features eight shrimp swimming from the upper right corner to the lower left corner. The ink used for the shrimps not only varies in shades of darkness and wetness but also portrays different degrees of extension and curvature. Despite the intense ink, there is no sense of heaviness or stiffness, and even with the light ink, there is no restlessness. The entire painting does not employ any background or water ripples, yet it vividly portrays the movement of the shrimp. In his later years, Qi Baishi depicted shrimp using "white shrimp" as his model, aiming for both form and spirit. His paintings reflect the inner world of the individual, and the shrimp itself possesses aesthetic appeal. Qi Baishi, as an elderly artist, possessed high cultural cultivation. Shrimp signifies dynamism and vitality, and within it, one can observe an optimistic, self-contented, and lively portrayal of an elderly individual with a sense of charm.