Author:Yang Chi-tong(1906-2003)

Category：Oil Painting

Media:Oil on canvas

Year：1987

Introduction：This is an oil painting by Yang Chi-tong, depicting the Lin Family Mansion and Garden in Banqiao, which is also known as the Lin Ben Yuan Family Mansion and Garden. Built in the second half of the 19th century, it embodies the aesthetic influence of the classical Chinese garden typically found in the Jiangnan region. During the period of Japanese rule, many artists, such as Chen Cheng-po, Chen Ching-fen, Li Shih-chiao, and Tateishi Tetsuomi(立石鐵臣), painted from life in this place. After the war, the mansion was severely damaged, and was reopened in 1986 after extensive restoration, which matched the time when Yang painted this work. Based on the view depicted by Yang, the painter probably stood in a corner at the corridor behind the Fang Jian Study(方鑑齋), which allowed him to overlook the theater stage and the studio. In this painting, the painter delineated the restored mansion packed with tourists, some taking a break on the wooden chairs on the theater stage, while some were leaning against the railing on the zig-zag bridge and the corridor to appreciate the view. The surrounding lush grass and trees in the background served as a foil for the red roofs of the buildings. The verdant trees reflected by the water immersed the buildings in greenery.

Author Introduction：「Yang Chi-tong」-Born in Fengyuan, Taichung City, Taiwan, Yang graduated from Taiwan Governor-General’s Taipei Normal School and taught at public schools in central Taiwan until after the war. In 1928, his painting Stranded Boat was selected for the 2nd Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition in the Western painting category, and he continued to exhibit landscape paintings in the Taiwan Fine Arts and Governor-General’s Art Exhibitions. Yang’s works captured the modernization of Taiwanese society during the colonial period. He was also an active art critic and Japanese poet, dedicated to promoting art education in central Taiwan.

Accession number:20210035