Prunus and Calligraphy

Gao Qipei (1660-1734) painted this handscroll of plum tree branches (prunus) using his fingertip, with the finest details added using his nails. The artist's daytime occupation as a civil servant during the Qing Dynasty permitted him free time in which to explore new ways of painting with his whole hand - palm, finger tips, and nails - rather than a traditional paintbrush. With this highly unique technique, Gao produced many similar landscape paintings throughout his life. After the painting is calligraphy by Gao Qipei, dated 1712, that contains sixteen copies of famous calligraphies (zitie) done between the Jin and Song dynasties, followed by an epilogue and a poem.