PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Asia

Gai Qi's paintings of ladies received high recognition during the Qing dynasty. His works were included in "Jieziyuan Huazhuan (A Collection of Paintings of Jieziyuan)" and "Wanqing Sanmingjia Hui Baimei Tu (Hundred Beauties Paintings by Three Famous Artists of Late Qing)". Fang Xun of Qing Dynasty once mentioned that drawing folding lines of dresses in ladies portraits requires the same skills as drawing rocks on a mountain, so that the paintings will not be too chaotic nor too bare.