The Life of Qi Baishi

Author: Zhang Cixi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The life of Qi Baishi can be said to have been marked by diligence and frugality. He always maintained household discipline and self-discipline, never forgetting the words "diligence" and "frugality" in every aspect of his life. His life was simple and serious, free from the vices of extravagance, indulgence, laziness, and physical decline often seen in past feudal scholars and bourgeois artists. He woke up very early every day. In summer, he was up at around 4 a.m., and in winter, no later than 6 a.m. Regardless of the season, he always rose when the sky was just beginning to lighten, before the morning sun had fully risen. He went to bed late, usually around 9 p.m., except when he was ill in bed or occasionally went out for entertainment or social engagements. He painted every day as a daily routine, without ever breaking the habit. From morning to night, he was either quietly contemplating or hunched over his desk, painting. He once wrote a line: "I have never been lazy like others in my old age; I rise early and wield my brush until the sun sets."