Man in a boat with a cither and a crane. Gao Qipei (1660 - 1734). China, c. 1700. Colours and ink on paper. Gao Qipei is well-known as the artist who painted with his fingers. But he was more than a painter with a remarkable technique. His power lay in the originality of his compositions and subjects. At times this led him away from the conventions of the day. The inscription on the right reads: 'Done on impulse, a cither and a crane: I had in mind the sound of the cither rising from my fingers. Painted by Pei with the fingers.'