Shrimps by Qi Baishi

Inscription: Paint by Qi Baishi, the Mountain Dweller.

Appreciation:

Qi Baishi's Shrimp exemplifies his mastery of brevity. With astonishing economy of brushwork, he conjures the translucent bodies of shrimp using light ink washes, while dark ink defines their whiskers and pincers with sinuous precision. The creatures seem to glide through the water, their tails flickering vividly. This work embodies Qi's famed aesthetic principle: "The excellence of a painting lies in its being between alike and unlike".