Drawing inspiration from a city

He developed a style called "red flower blossoms and black leaves", that made use of loose strokes and expanses of color in large-format compositions.

Mei became Qi's apprentice and often invited him to dinners at home, where he would introduce his teacher to the other guests at Zhui Yu Xuan, as Mei's home was known. This helped Qi win a position in the circles of arts and culture.

As his new work achieved success, Qi felt that after years of being nourished by Beijing's cultural atmosphere, he was finally being accepted as a member, and was able to contribute wholeheartedly to the cultural scene.

Through his art, Qi enthusiastically celebrated the Beijing scenes that nurtured him.

"Qi said that he had enjoyed the best oranges at Rongbaozhai, and seen the most beautiful views at Taoranting Pavilion (a popular city park today); that the blossoming lilacs at the Fayuan Temple (a famous 7th century Buddhist temple) were marvelous, and the morning glories at Mei's home were impressive in size," says Wang.

Zhang Nan, another of the exhibition's co-curators, says that to immerse the audience fully in Qi's world, they decorated the rooms using three theme colors: pink, to remind people of the lilac at the Fayuan Temple; yellowish brown, to represent bottle gourds Qi grew in his courtyard home; and red, the color of peonies, a favorite subject of his paintings.

Wu Hongliang, director of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, says since last year they have launched a series of activities to mark the 160th anniversary in collaboration with institutions that own collections of Qi's work in China and abroad.