'BANANA LEAVES AND LOQUATS', BY QI BAISHI (1864-1957) China, ca. 1930. Ink and watercolors on paper. Superbly painted with two large banana leaves executed with bold and vivid brushstrokes, a bunch of ripening loquats, their orange-yellow color reminiscent of a sunset, lying on the lower leaf, a few scattered fruits having dropped from the bunch.

Inscriptions: Signed Baishi, one seal 'Baishi'.

Provenance: Mi Chou Gallery, after 1957, New York, USA. A private collector, acquired from the above (invoice lost), possibly at the exhibition “3 Masters of Contemporary Chinese Painting” which took place at the gallery from September 9-27, 1958. Thence by descent in the family. The back with an old label (7.5 x 10.2 cm) from “Mi Chou Gallery, 801 Madison Avenue, New York 21, NY”. The label bears typewritten information about the present lot including the title, the artist “Ch'i Pai-shih (1864-1957)”, the medium “Ink & colors on paper” and the dating “ca. 1930”, all confirming the above, and a smaller label, “13. Banana Leaves and Loquats”. Michael Sullivan notes in Art and Artists of Twentieth-Century China, Berkeley, 1996, pages 208-9, that Mi Chou Gallery, founded by Frank Cho in 1954, was the first Chinese contemporary art gallery in the United States and broke ground with exhibitions of renowned artists like Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian. Sullivan further notes that initially, the gallery was established in the home of famed Chinese paintings collector and scholar, C.C. Wang. Having their works exhibited in New York for the first time was an immense opportunity for Chinese artists, and so Mi Chou Gallery had access to the finest works by the greatest painters of the era.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and minimal soiling.

Dimensions: Image size 130 x 33.5 cm, Size incl. frame 163.2 x 52.8 cm

Matted and framed behind glass.

Qi Baishi (1864-1957) is one of the most important Chinese artists of the 20th century and has received countless honors and awards like no other painter in the People's Republic of China. He began a career as a carpenter, though he taught himself to paint using a manual from the Qing dynasty period. His style, which Qi Baishi developed in the second half of his life, is characterized by a powerful, spontaneous brushstroke. He expanded his subject matter to figures, animals, vegetation, and landscape and began to incorporate rich color into his compositions, painting in an ever-freer style. His works are focused on the spiritual, ephemeral, and mystical qualities of the human condition. In 1953, he was elected president of the China Artists Association, and one year later he was elected to the National People's Congress.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Paris, 23 June 2016, lot 172
Price: EUR 75,000 or approx. EUR 88,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Loquats
Expert remark: Compare the loquats of similar dark yellow color. Note the much smaller size (33.5 x 33.3 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 7 October 2012, lot 1192
Price: HKD 2,060,000 or approx. EUR 334,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Loquats
Expert remark: Compare the loquats, most of which are of similar dark yellow color. Note the smaller size (92.5 x 33.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Poly International, Beijing, 2 December 2010, lot 2174
Price: CNY 1,736,000 or approx. EUR 332,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Qi Baishi, Banana Tree Leaf
Expert remark: Compare the banana leaves. Note the similar size (136 x 34 cm).


齊白石款《芭蕉與琵琶》
中國，約 1930，紙本水墨設色。兩片大芭蕉葉，近景簡筆構圖，筆墨大膽而生動；一束成熟的枇杷，金黃誘人。

款識：隔麤塵輕，碧玉鋪滿地黃金，白石；鈴印：白石

來源：紐約米舟畫廊，1957年後；私人收藏，購於米舟畫廊 (發票遺失)，可能購於1958年9月9-27日舉辦的 “三位中國當代繪畫大師” 畫展展覽期間，一直保存在同一家族。背面有米舟畫廊舊標籤 (7.5 x 10.2厘米) “Mi Chou Gallery，801 Madison Avenue，New York 21，NY”。Michael Sullivan 在Art and Artists of Twentieth-世紀 China （Berkeley 1996，第208-9頁）注釋，米舟畫廊由Frank Cho 於1954年創立，是美國第一家中國當代藝術畫廊，由齊白石、張大千等著名藝術家的展覽而出名。Sullivan進一步指出，最初，畫廊深受著名的中國畫收藏家和學者 C.C. 王推崇。第一次在紐約展出作品對中國藝術家來說是一個巨大的機會，因此米舟畫廊可以接觸到那個時代最偉大的畫家最優秀的作品。
品相：狀況極佳，輕微磨損與污漬。

尺寸：畫面130 x 33.5厘米，總 163.2 x 52.8 厘米

鏡片裝框。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：巴黎蘇富比，2016年6月23日，lot 172
價格：EUR 75,000（相當於今日EUR 88,000）
描述：齊白石《枇杷》，1945年作
專家評論：比較枇杷相似的偏暗黃色。請注意尺寸較小(33.5 x 33.3厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2012年10月7日，lot 1192
價格：HKD 2,060,000（相當於今日EUR 334,500）
描述：齊白石 (1864-1957) 《枇杷》，1943年作
專家評論：比較部分枇杷相似的偏暗黃色。請注意尺寸較小(92.5 x 33.5厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：北京保利國際拍賣有限公司，2010年12月2日，lot 2174
價格：CNY 1,736,000（相當於今日EUR 332,000）
描述：齊白石《香蕉樹葉》，1951年作
專家評論：比較香蕉樹葉。請注意相似的尺寸(136 x 34厘米)。