Author:Shao You-Xuan

Size:Length:226 x Width:86 (cm)

Size description：140×69 (226×86)

Introduction：Shao You-Xuan (1918-2009), nicknamed Youxian, was a native of Xuexi Village, Dongyang County, Zhejiang Province, and a renowned Taiwanese flower and bird painter. As a child, she was introduced to painting and calligraphy by her father, Shao Yi-Xuan. In 1934, she enrolled in the National Beiping Art School. Her father, once employed at the Beiping Art School, was acquainted with renowned artists such as Wang Yun, Qi Bai-Shi, Chen Ban-Ding, and Wang Xue-Tong, and gave Shao the opportunity to learn from these masters. Later she was apprenticed to Chang Da-Chien. After the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan, she taught at the Zhengze Art School in Hangzhou. After moving to Taiwan from Hong Kong, she taught at the Political Warfare School (now the National Defense University) and the National Taiwan School of the Arts. In 1958, together with her husband Lin Zhong-Xing and four other artist couples, she founded the "Six Couples Painting Association". In addition to numerous solo exhibitions at home, Shao has exhibited and lectured in Hangzhou, Beijing, and various locations in the United States.

Initially focusing on landscapes, Shao later moved on to flowers and birds, drawing from the expertise of modern masters and ancient painters such as Xu Wei, Chen Chun, Yun Shou-Ping, and Hua Yan. She had a unique understanding of painting various flowers, including roses, wisterias, lotuses, morning glories, camellias, and daffodils, and excelled in painting peonies, earning her the nickname "Shao Peony". Chang Da-Chien once praised her skills in his inscription on her painting album, noting her versatility and exquisite touch.

In her artwork, Shao's depictions of flowers, birds, feathers, insects, and fish belong to the freehand brushwork style. At first, she used dry brush and heavy ink to outline branches and leaves, using boneless painting for flowers, and later added autumn insects, butterflies, fish, and algae with meticulous brushwork. Beyond her creations, Shao often expressed her painting insights, believing that painting peonies did not require dedicated coloring. Even with only ink and water, appropriate techniques would not compromise their richness and elegance. This ink work depicts several intertwined long pine trees, symbolizing sublime character and resilient spirit with its unique composition and subtle coloring of floral blue and ochre.

Accession Number:PT06902900