The Autobiography of Master Bai Shi (Illustrated Treasure Edition)

Author: Qi Baishi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: "Our family is very poor!" This is the opening line of Baishi Laoren Zishu (Baishi the Elder's Autobiography), and this simple, yet poignant narrative immediately struck me. I even thought it was the best opening line for a first-person novel, rivaling the famous opening of Moby Dick—"Call me Ishmael." The book is illustrated with images, featuring over one hundred of Qi Baishi's paintings, seals, and calligraphic works. The autobiography records the journey of Baishi the Elder, from a humble carpenter to becoming a master of the art world. It includes tender and romantic stories, such as the founding of the Longshan Poetry Society, where Baishi the Elder once painted "flowered paper" for his fellow members, making one imagine the charm of such paper and even envying those who owned it to write poems. Another example is Baishi the Elder, who remained in Xiangtan until he was forty, but in that year, his trip to Xi'an broadened his horizons and changed his artistic style, resulting in works like Baiqiao Wind and Snow. Due to the inconvenient transportation of that time, Baishi the Elder's journey to Xi'an was long and arduous, yet he painted along the way—how refined that was! And the "scenery of peach blossoms stretching for dozens of miles along the way" he described while climbing Mount Hua is now hard to witness. Baishi Laoren Zishu also details the hardships Baishi the Elder faced while selling paintings to make a living in different historical periods. It recounts his interactions with the master Mei Lanfang. It expresses his grief and indignation during the Japanese occupation of China. What moved me to tears the most was his account of two women, Chen Chunjun and Hu Baozhu, who shared his life and passed away before him. The shadows of war and the dispersion of his family brought an indescribable sense of desolation to Baishi the Elder in his later years. In terms of artistic discussions, the book also contains insightful observations. For example: "My seal carving is like writing. When writing, one doesn't trace the stroke twice; when carving, one strikes with the knife and never retraces." This is a book worth reading. After finishing it, you'll feel a faint sadness—for the distant Baishi the Elder, for the paintings that still bring us joy today, and for the uniquely evocative poems he wrote, such as the line "Supporting the railing, drunk, watching the peonies." At the age of seventy-one, Qi Baishi once requested Wujiang Jin Songcen to write his biography. He dictated his life story, which was recorded by his disciple Zhang Cixi and sent to Jin for use as material for the biography. However, due to the passage of time and changes in circumstances, the work was often started and then left unfinished. By Baishi the Elder's later years, his declining health made it difficult for him to sit for long periods, and the writing was repeatedly interrupted and resumed. As a result, his autobiography only covers up to 1948, when Baishi the Elder was eighty-eight. Today, after consulting with Baishi the Elder's son, Qi Liangchi, over one hundred and eighty of Baishi's paintings have been selected and published alongside the "autobiography." This "autobiography" was originally planned when Baishi the Elder was seventy-one, with the intention of having Wujiang Jin Songcen write his biography. He himself dictated his life story, which was recorded by his disciple Zhang Cixi and given to Jin as basic material for the biography. However, due to the passage of time and changes in circumstances, Baishi the Elder often paused and resumed writing. By his later years, his declining health made it difficult for him to sit for long periods, and the writing was repeatedly interrupted and resumed. Therefore, this "autobiography" only covers up to 1948, when Baishi the Elder was eighty-eight.