Accession Number
1949/1.194

Title
Fish

Artist(s)
Qi Baishi

Object Creation Date
1920-1949

Medium & Support
ink on paper

Dimensions
58 in x 25 ½ in (147.32 cm x 64.77 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Katsuizumi Sotokichi

Label copy
Isamu Noguchi and Qi Baishi: Beijing 1930
May 18, 2013 – September 1, 2013
Qi Baishi
China, 1864–1957
Fish
circa 1930
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
Gift of Katsuizumi Sotokichi, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1949/1.194
inscribed:
I once painted Three Fish and inscribed it; painting is what I did in the time remaining after work; poetry in the time remaining after sleep; and calligraphy in the time remaining after carving. This is what I call the three remaining [the words for remaining and fish are homonyms in Chinese].

Subject matter
Fish.

Physical Description
The painting depicts three fishes below a calligraphic poem. The poem goes: "I once painted Three Fish and inscribed it: painting is what I did in the time remaining after work, poetry in the time remaining after sleep, and calligraphy in the time remaining after carving. This is what I call the three remaining." (in Chinese, "fish" and "remaining" are pronounced the same)

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
hanging scroll

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
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Keywords
calligraphy (process)
fish (animals)
poems