Duck and Lotus
Gao Qipei
Description
Gao Qipei
Chinese, 1660–1734
Duck and Lotus
China, Qing dynasty (1644–1912)
circa 1690–1734
Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection
Fund, 1961/1.162
Gao Qipei was a successful government official as well as an accomplished painter with an unusual technique: instead of using a brush, he painted with his fingertips, nails, palms, and the backs of his hands. In this large scroll, Gao depicts a duck swimming among aquatic plants in the shade of a cluster of lotus. The lively execution, harmonious washes of color, and untrammeled, variegated effects—impossible to achieve with a brush—demonstrate his consummate skill.
Subject Matter:
Gao Qipei was an accomplished painter with an unusual technique: instead of using a brush, he painted with his fingertips, nails, palms, and the backs of his hands. The lively execution, harmonious washes, and untrammeled, variegated effects—impossible to achieve with a brush—demonstrate Gao’s consummate skill in finger painting.
Physical Description:
In this large scroll Gao depicts a duck swimming among aquatic plants in the shade of a cluster of lotus.
Usage Rights:
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