Author:Ni Chiang-huai(1894-1943)

Category：Watercolor

Media:Watercolor on paper

Year：1936

Introduction：Ni Chiang-huai portrays this view of houses built along the mountain terrain in Tamsui from a high vantage point. The rear of the Tamsui Church can be seen on the right in the foreground. The decorative spike on the roof ridge is its architectural feature. The spectator’s line of sight follows the winding path on the left, which leads to the white Western-style building in the middle ground. Judging from its appearance, it is likely the Little White House in Tamsui. On the distant mountain top in the background stands a two-story red Western-style building with a pointy rooftop, which is the Tamsui Red Castle. A similar view can be found in Tamsui Landscape (Tamsui) (1935) by Chen Cheng-po, who was a good friend of Ni’s. Chen’s painting also depicts the buildings in Tamsui in their various styles and different heights. The difference between the works of the two painters is that Chen chose to put the Guanyin Mountain in the distant background as a foil to the redbrick houses in the foreground, whereas the expansive blue Tamsui River runs through the background of Ni’s work, dotted with boats sailing on the river.

Author Introduction：「Ni Chiang-huai」-Born in Taipei, Taiwan, graduated from Taiwan Governor-General’s National Language School and studied under Ishikawa Kinichiro. Encouraged by Ishikawa, he promoted local art development in Taiwan. Starting in 1920, he became Taiwan’s first art patron, founding the Chi Hsing Painting Group, sponsoring the Taiwan Watercolor Society, organizing the Chi Dao Group, and establishing the Taiwan Painting Institute. His watercolor works, characterized by subtle colors, documented Taiwan’s landscapes and customs through outdoor sketching.

Accession number:20210101