Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Chen Peiqiu, Orchid. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Chen Peiqiu topimpressionists.com/en/artists/chen-peiqiu/
Artist’s dates: 1922 – 2020
Original size: 34 x 46 cm
Movement: Contemporary Realism Living artists painting the real world with traditional skill, often from photographs as well as from life.

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Chen Peiqiu died in 2020; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2090. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Orchid — Chen Peiqiu

How big is it?

The original measures 34 × 46 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

07
817
1827
2837
3847
4857
5867
6877
7887
8897
98

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 98 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Chen Peiqiu (1922–2020) every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

RECLUSE IN THE AUTUMN MOUNTAINS topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-recluse-in-the-autumn-mountains-AQZC8U-en/
Bird by the Bamboo topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-bird-by-the-bamboo-AQZC9G-en/
Lush Mountains by the Shore topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-lush-mountains-by-the-shore-AS7CSL-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

White #f9f5ea

Catalogued palette

#F9F5EA
#C7C1B5
#5B595A
#979387

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Pastels The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: White
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Balanced How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Artist

Chen Peiqiu

Born in Nanyang, China

early life and education

chen peiqiu, a renowned chinese guohua painter, was born in 1922 in nanyang, henan province. during the second sino-japanese war, her family took refuge in kunming, yunnan province. chen's early life was marked by her mother's artistic influence, but she initially aspired to become an engineer, believing it would be more beneficial to society. however, her family's opposition led her to pursue economics instead.

artistic journey

chen's artistic path began when she attended a huang junbi's art exhibition in kunming, which inspired her to apply to the national academy of art (now china academy of art in hangzhou). under the influence of professor li keran, chen graduated in 1950, specializing in traditional chinese painting, particularly landscape, flowers, and birds. her work also explores impressionism and postimpressionism.

achievements and accolades

chen peiqiu is one of the most prominent modern women artists in china, featured on every edition of the hurun art list of best-selling living chinese artists at auction since its inception.

in 2016, she ranked number 16 with sales of us$7.9 million, making her the highest-ranked woman artist among the top 100.

one of her landscape paintings was sold in 2014 for $3.4 million.

notable works and exhibitions

some notable works by chen peiqiu include:

orchids (72 x 46 cm, ink), a stunning example of her traditional chinese painting style.

river town (32 x 86 cm, ink), showcasing her skill in capturing scenic landscapes.

her work was exhibited in the first shanghai biennale in 2000, further solidifying her reputation in the art world.

museum and legacy

the government of shanghai has opened a xie zhiliu and chen peiqiu art gallery in nanhui new city, dedicated to the artist couple. some of her calligraphy is preserved at the tianfei palace in songjiang's fangta park. view more works by chen peiqiu on AllPaintingsStore.com: [https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/chen-peiqiu](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/chen-peiqiu) [browse through her collection, including orchids and river town, on AllPaintingsStore.com.](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@@/aqzca6-chen-peiqiu-orchids) learn more about chen peiqiu's life and work on wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chen_peiqiu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chen-peiqiu)

Where to read more

The artist Chen Peiqiu topimpressionists.com/en/artists/chen-peiqiu/
Similar works More works to compare topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/
Article Hokusai's Masterpieces: 25 Iconic Prints & Paintings for Art Lovers topimpressionists.com/en/articles/hokusai-s-masterpieces-25-iconic-prints-paintings-for-art-lovers-en/
Article Timeless Botanical Art: Elevate Your Interior with Hand-Painted Floral Masterpieces topimpressionists.com/en/articles/wa-misc-timeless-botanical-art-elevate-your-interior-with-hand-painted-floral-masterpieces-en/
Article Victorian Botanical Art: How Bold, High-Impact Florals are Reclaiming Modern Interior Design topimpressionists.com/en/articles/bpa-misc-victorian-botanical-art-how-bold-high-impact-florals-are-reclaiming-modern-interior-design-en/
Article Ink & Inspiration: Discovering Timeless Artworks That Celebrate the Magic of the Written Word topimpressionists.com/en/articles/adc-misc-ink-inspiration-discovering-timeless-artworks-that-celebrate-the-magic-of-the-written-word-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Orchid

topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Peiqiu, Chen. Orchid. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/
APA: Peiqiu, Chen (n.d.). Orchid [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/
Chicago: Chen Peiqiu. Orchid. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/
Harvard: Peiqiu, Chen (n.d.) Orchid. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/chen-peiqiu-orchid-AS7CVZ-en/

Orchid — Chen Peiqiu

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: chinese art, floral painting, ink wash. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at RECLUSE IN THE AUTUMN MOUNTAINS, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Contemporary Realism: Living artists painting the real world with traditional skill, often from photographs as well as from life. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

Are the colors of "Orchid" by Chen Peiqiu saturated or muted?

The colors of "Orchid" by Chen Peiqiu have a muted saturation. Saturation describes how vivid or muted the colors are.

How do contrast and harmony combine in "Orchid"?

The color composition of "Orchid" by Chen Peiqiu combines a balanced contrast with a unified palette harmony.

What stage of Chen Peiqiu's development does "Orchid" represent?

Within Chen Peiqiu's career, "Orchid" falls in the Mature Period. The phase helps compare it with the artist's other works.