Qi Baishi and Sotokichi Katsuizumi: the Friendship Between Artist and Art Collector

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1 Qi Baishi and Sotokichi Katsuizumi: the Friendship Between Artist and Art Collector By: Anne Patrias Faculty Sponsor: Susan Erickson Department of Literature, Philosophy, and the Arts; University of Michigan-Dearborn Figure 1: Qi Baishi Figure 2: Sotokichi Katsuizumi Qi Baishi (fig. 1) was a self-taught artist born to farmers in the Hunan Province. 1 Mr. Sotokichi Katsuizumi (fig. 2) was born in the Tsubata township of Japan also to farmers. 2 While Qi was developing his distinguished painting style and making paintings in his mature years in Beijing, Mr. Katsuizumi was working his way through school earning his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 3 Mr. Katsuizumi later went to work for the New York branch of the Yokohama Specie Bank and was then transferred to the Beijing branch. 4 It was here that their paths crossed, and a friendship developed from an initial patronage relationship. The painting entitled Crabs is part of a group donated to the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor by Mr. Katsuizumi (fig. 3). 5 They document the relationship between these two men during a period of time in the 20 th century before Japan occupied China and hostilities ensued. 1 T. C. Lai, Ch i Pai Shih (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1973) Ernesto Flores, Japanese, 82, Works Hard For Democracy In Nation, The San Diego Union 10 May 1970: B16. 3 Katsuizumi Sotokichi, A Japanese Sees the U.S. (Tokyo: Japan Publications, Inc., 1968) Anne Katsuizumi Chew, document preserved in the archives of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, April Didactic label from an exhibition entitled, Lessons from the East, organized by Marshall Wu, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Shrimps, by Qi Baishi, 1949/1.200, (Entry Title: Prawn Paintings by Ch i Paishih ), University of Michigan Museum of Art.

2 Before considering the interaction between these two men, it is important to discuss some aspects of the unique painting style of Qi Baishi. This work is ink on paper with no color added it measures only a little over nine and a half inches in height. From a bird s eye view, two crabs face each other on a blank background. The two crabs take up the space of the entire work. Two of the grey crab s legs are cropped off on the left side, as well as a toe of the black crab on the bottom edge. The Figure 3: Qi Baishi. Crabs, University of Michigan Museum of Art. environment is shown by the four, long blades of grass jutting out from the left side of the painting. Here, the blank background could represent white sand or water. 6 Movement is apparent as the black crab sweeps over to the right side, and the grey crab bends and extends its legs. Instead of being content with flat black on the white background, the artist achieves some three-dimensionality which makes the crabs come alive off of the paper. The lighter portion on the right side of the black crab, along with the slightly lighter legs on this side and similar highlights on the claws gives tonal variance. Similarly, the ridges on the grey crab are created with a series of washes that gives the effect of three-dimensionality to its body. The way that the ink is used on the claws of this crab shows the dark to light recession that creates the form and mimics the light and dark patterns on the black crab, except they are more lowlights compared to the black crab s highlights. The two crabs balance each other in a yin and yang type manner and thus balance the composition. Qi Baishi s style and method of painting is characterized by a sense of spontaneity so iconic to his work. 7 He employs a style that is like cursive calligraphy and is concerned with suggesting the form rather than fine surface details. Instead of using a system of filled in outlines, the big, bold strokes make the forms. He breaks the crab form down into a repeatable series of strokes, much like a character in calligraphy but still achieves a realistic representation. There is a clear methodology to the procedure of creating one of the crabs. It looks like the body was formed first with a large dot of ink. Then, the legs were formed in two, sharp strokes projecting out from the central body ending with a finer stroke for the toes. It also looks 6 Jung Ying Tsao, The Paintings of Xugu and Qi Baishi (San Francisco: Far East Fine Arts, Inc., 1993) A New Traditionalist, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, 58.3 (Winter 2001): See p.28.

3 like the legs closest to the top of the page were painted first, and the succeeding legs were painted as Qi went further down the page as seen by the pattern of overlapping. This could be more of a practicality because it enables the artist not to have to work over newly painted strokes and run the risk of smudging. The claws were made starting with one stroke for the arm, then a dot for the base of the claw and two finer strokes for the pinschers. Finally, another two detail strokes are added to form the eye stalks. Qi spent a great deal of time observing crabs in their appearance and movements. He talks about observing crabs in his writings: Behind my studio there was a well against some rocks. Moss covered the area around the well, making modulated green patterns. Once a crab crawled around there. I watched it, noticing that it walked by moving one leg at a time. Even though it had many legs, their movements were very well regulated. People painting this creature don t know about it. 8 He kept crabs as pets and would often put them in water or on the floor and watch them walk. 9 He also kept and observed shrimp and fish. 10 As a boy, he gained a love and closeness to nature and the simple things of life while working in the flooded patties transplanting young rice shoots because he was too weak to guide the ox and maneuver the plow at the same time. 11 Painting from real life was important to him, and he decided that this was the method that he would use from the very beginning of his practice as an artist. Although he stated that he first started to draw after making a tracing of an image of the thunder god that hung in his home, 12 he favored drawing the things that he could see and would make drawings of flowers, plants, birds, crabs and other little creatures. Qi said he found it difficult to draw things like the thunder god because no one had ever seen this fantastic deity. 13 So, this painting of crabs is the product of long observation and confirms his preference for things of real-life. 8 Quoted in Catherine Yi-yu Cho Woo, Chinese Aesthetics and Ch i Pai-shih (Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Co., 1986) Lai Lai 162, Tsao Lai Lai 12.

4 Figure 4: Bada Shanren, Birds and Ducks: Scroll 1, Ducks and Old Tree, Sackler Coll. NY In addition to his study of nature, Qi had knowledge of earlier Chinese masters of painting. May-ching Kao Yeung has written that he was particularly influenced by Bada Shanren, ( ), 14 in his sense of design, expert use of ink, lofty feeling, and introspectiveness 15 and the way that Bada used so few strokes when he made a form. 16 An example of Bada s style is Birds and Ducks: Scroll 1, Ducks and Old Tree (fig. 4). He uses the same large, expressive strokes of ink to create his forms instead of meticulously rendering the image from a series of tiny strokes. He uses a range of ink tones in this work and goes from a deep black to a lighter wash, and the application of ink is very expressive as seen in the way that the ink is layered on the tree and in the poses of the birds. Although Bada uses the system of outline and fill for the animals in this painting, his affinity for these strong, expressive, thick strokes, like the ones shown here, are totally in sync with the strokes that Qi uses in Crabs. Bada s representation of the ducks is quite like the crabs in Qi s painting. He employs a thick outline in the front of the ducks bodies that fades off paler as it reaches the tail. Dark outlines are also used for the wings and the details of the feathers near the tail. Both ducks also have a pattern of dark dots around their wings and are filled in with the same type of pattern in the pale wash. In terms of the composition, a weak-looking, thin branch of the tree drapes over the two ducks not unlike the blades of grass in Qi s painting. On the left side of the painting, Qi Baishi signed the painting of Crabs using his school name, Qihuang, and the seal bears the name of the artist. He also wrote on the painting, At Mr. Katsuizumi s request referring the reason behind the production of this painting. 17 Mr. Katsuizumi states that his acquaintance with Qi Baishi began in the fall of 1925 through a colleague at the Yokohama Specie Bank, Mr. Ito Tanso. Mr. Ito was a patron to the artist and was one of the people that made the artist known to the Japanese public. At first, Mr. Katsuizumi did not buy any paintings himself but gave Mr. Ito full discretion in making purchases for him. On Christmas Eve of 1925, Mr. Ito presented him with his first two paintings by Qi Baishi. One was of a winter scene with a lifeless tree visited by black birds, probably crows. The second was of a Chinese cabbage and two mushrooms Richard Barnhart, ed, Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1997) Lai A New Traditionalist UMMA database Katsuizumi Sotokichi, Chi h Pai shih & Isamu Noguchi: Personal Recollections of Sotokichi Katsuazumi, Aug. 15, 1962, document preserved in the archives of the University of Michigan Museum of Art,

5 After this, Mr. Katsuizumi called on the artist at his studio along with Mr. Ito. During his early visits, he spent time getting to know the artist and his family rather than buying paintings. 19 He gradually started to purchase more paintings, but he says that he acquired his most prized Qi Baishi paintings in another way. The artist s secondary wife began to secretly visit him in order to sell him paintings. 20 The first instance of this was when she visited his office and the gatekeeper came in and told him that a woman wanted him to see something confidentially. She had paintings by Qi in tow and gave him a quote for the price she wanted. 21 Mr. Katsuizumi was elated at the prospect of purchasing one particular painting of an old man with a gourd since he had never been shown any paintings of human figures, and he did not believe that anyone had one at the time. Mr. Katsuizumi thought that the price was reasonable and said that he suspected that the secondary wife was not accustomed to receiving her quoted price for paintings, and thus it seems she made a habit of paying him visits whenever she was in need of funds. 22 The works acquired secretly differ from the one in the UMMA since when he received them directly from the artist, his name was inscribed on them. Mr. Katsuizumi was of the opinion that the artist only added the name of the patron on pieces when he felt that they are up to his satisfaction. 23 Also, sometimes paintings were gifted to Mr. Katsuizumi by the artist. Solitary Bird Perched on a Banana Plant and Shrimps, both in the UMMA collection, were parting gifts from the artist. The inscription on Solitary Birds reads, A farewell gift for Mr. Katsuizumi, as he goes south. Baishi. 24 On Shrimps he wrote: Mr. Katsuizumi is going to return to his own country. I paint this as a farewell gift with the year, 1931, the school name, Qihuang, and the seal says Figure 5: Qi Baishi, Shrimps, UMMA Baishi (or) hermit (fig. 5). 25 Mr. Katsuizumi was very fortunate that he met Qi Baishi through Mr. Ito because obtaining genuine works by this artist was not an easy task. Qi was very particular about who he let into the inner space of his home. In fact, there were two outer doorways before reaching an inner gate. The first entrance was guarded by a retired eunuch, and the third was only opened by Qi himself, who kept the keys on his person. 26 In response to a comment about the number of 19 Katsuizumi, Personal recollections p Katsuizumi, Personal recollections p. 1, Katsuizumi, Personal recollections p. 1, Katsuizumi, Personal recollections p Katsuizumi, Personal recollections p UMMA database UMMA database Lai 155.

6 imitators going by the same name, Qi said that those who only make it as far as the first or second doors of his home do not get genuine Qi Baishi paintings; only those who make it into the studio received the authentic pieces. 27 Mr. Hanai Soto, who met the artist in 1920, relates that when someone requested a painting, he would tell his wife to take some out of a chest. 28 A painting was then selected, and if requested to do an inscription, Qi would add a piece of satire or a social comment relating to the subject that was painted. 29 However, Crabs could have been executed in the presence of the patron, Mr. Katsuizumi. Shrimps was done by the artist with Mr. Katsuizumi present during a visit in Since Qi often painted the subject matter of crabs, he would have been able to execute it quickly during a visit. The friendship between Katsuizumi and Qi lasted from 1925 to During this time, Katsuizumi gained many paintings first as a patron, then as a friend. This group of paintings in the UMMA collection showcase the unique style of Qi Baishi and are a testament to their friendship. In 1931, Mr. Katsuizumi was transferred to the Head Office of the Yokohama Specie Bank in Yokohama and left Beijing. 32 Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, and by 1937, Japanese forces had moved to the south, taking over large amounts of the eastern seaboard of China. 33 In a recollection by Mr. Katsuizumi s daughter, she stated Qi Baishi became known in Japan and his paintings were sought after by the Japanese in the 1930 s. But Qi Baishi was a patriot who would not sell to Japanese after the Japanese invasion of China. 34 When he did sell paintings to the Japanese, he would include inscriptions that could be interpreted as having anti-japanese sentiment. 35 He would often give the Japanese officers paintings of crabs as he would sometimes use crabs sideways motion to symbolize lawlessness and unruly behavior in people. 36 The crabs in these later years changed from a gesture of friendship between the Chinese artist, Qi Baishi and a Japanese man, Mr. Sotokichi Katsuizumi to a symbol of hostility for a foreign power. 27 Lai Lai Lai Didactic label from the exhibition, Lessons from the East, Marshall Wu, UMMA. 31 Chew 1, and Katsuizumi, Personal recollections p Chew A New Traditionalist Chew Woo Tsao 300.

7 Works Cited A New Traditionalist. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, 58.3 (Winter 2001) Print. Barnhart, Richard, et al. Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, Print. Chew, Anne Katsuizumi. Document preserved in the archives of the University of Michigan Museum of Art. April Flores, Ernesto. Japanese, 82, Works Hard For Democracy In Nation. The San Diego Union 10 May 1970: B16. Print. Katsuizumi, Sotokichi. A Japanese Sees the U.S. Tokyo: Japan Publications, Inc., Print. Katsuizumi, Sotokichi. Chi h Pai shih & Isamu Noguchi: Personal Recollections of Sotokichi Katsuazumi, Aug. 15, Document preserved in the archives of the University of Michigan Museum of Art Lai, T. C. Ch i Pai Shih. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, Print. Lessons from the East, exhibition organized by Marshall Wu, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Shrimps, by Qi Baishi, 1949/1.200, (Entry Title: Prawn Paintings by Ch i Pai-shih ), University of Michigan Museum of Art. Tsao, Jung Ying. The Paintings of Xugu and Qi Baishi. San Francisco: Far East Fine Arts, Inc., Print. Woo, Catherine Yi-yu Cho. Chinese Aesthetics and Ch i Pai-shih. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Co., Print. Illustrations Bada Shanren. Birds and Ducks: Scroll 1 Ducks and Old Tree Sackler Collection, New York. MLibrary Image Collections. Web. 12 April Qi Baishi. Crabs. not dated/c University of Michigan Museum of Art Collection, Ann Arbor. MLibrary Image Collections. Web. 30 May Qi Baishi. Shrimps University of Michigan Museum of Art Collection, Ann Arbor. MLibrary Image Collections. Web. 30 May Photo of Sotokichi Katsuizumi. After Ernesto Flores. Japanese, 82, Works Hard For Democracy In Nation. The San Diego Union 10 May 1970: B16. Photo of Qi Baishi. After T.C. Lai. Ch i Pai Shih. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1973, Frontispiece.