The painter Gao Qipei (1660-1734) was born in a northern province of China. He was a successful civil servant at the courts of Kangxi (1662-1722) and Yongzheng (1723-1735), both emperors of the Qing Dynasty. His official function allowed Gao enough time to develop himself as a painter. From the age of twenty he was looking for his own style. He found it by painting with his fingers instead of a brush, an idea that he had fallen into during a dream. With his fingertips or with his entire hand he applied brushstrokes; for lines he used a long nail. Initially Gao also worked with brushes, but he increasingly left them in the closet as he perfected his finger painting. His paintings stand out because of their spontaneity.
Discover more Old Masters in the following collections: