Qi Baishi (齊白石, 1864-1957) Qi Baishi was one of the most beloved and well-known Chinese artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The subjects of his paintings include almost everything, Qi Baishi is particularly known for painting shrimps.

His original name is Qi Huang (齊璜) and style name Weiqing (渭清). Some of Qi’s major influences include the Ming Dynasty artist Xu Wei (徐渭) and the early Qing Dynasty painter Zhu Da (朱耷, 即”八大山人”).

In his twenties, he found artistic mentors who gave him important practical instruction in whatever he needed to learn. In 1888 he studied painting with Xiao Xianghai the finest portrait artist in Xiangtan. Chen Shaofan, a teacher of literature, taught Qi how to write poetry. Tu Pan, showed him all about landscape painting.