Painting

Ship approaching the waterfront. Gao Qipei (1660 - 1734). China c. 1700. Ink and colours on paper. The finger painter Gao Qipei was an experimental artist. 'The hand should be allowed to paint as it wishes,' he wrote. He was fascinated by the unpredictability of a line drawn with a finger or nail. In the centre of this album page is a bird's-eye view of a boat. The hills in the foreground, however, are shown from a low perspective. A combination of various vantage points is a feature of Gao Qipei's work. The inscription, right: 'Little boat sails along mountains piled up a thousandfold' - this line by the old poet has not disappointed me. Qipei.