Oil Painting

1984

Length:91 x Width:72.5 (cm)

Yeh Huo-Cheng (1908-1993, Fengyuan, Taichung) graduated from Taipei Second Normal School (now National Taipei University of Education), where he studied under Ishikawa Kinichiro (1871-1945). He later served as an elementary school teacher and principal, and was director of the Department of Industrial Design at Ming Chi Institute of Technology. Yeh’s works were frequently selected for the Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition during the Japanese colonial period, and he also received awards from the Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition. A lifelong advocate for art education, he was a member of the Tai-Yang Art Society and the Chinese Artists Association, served as chair of the Republic of China Oil Painting Association, and founded both the Huludun Art Research Society and the Niumatou Painting Society. He played a major role in promoting the art movement in central Taiwan.
Yeh Huo-Cheng is known for his oil paintings, especially portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. In his landscape work, he often focused on scenes from Taiwan. At the Foot of Huoyanshan, completed in 1984, is one of his representative works from later in life.
The painting features the distinctive ridges of Huoyanshan in Miaoli, which rises prominently in the background. Using a zigzag composition, Yeh guides the viewer’s eye from the winding river and village in the foreground up toward the distant mountain. This structure not only suggests the gradual slope of the terrain, but also emphasizes the striking verticality of the mountain.
Yeh skillfully uses warm tones, including purples, browns, oranges, grays, and blues, and applies thick layers of paint to capture the region’s unique geology. The result is a harmonious composition with balanced contrast and depth. The work reflects Yeh’s deep observation of the land and his enduring emotional connection to it.

Accession number:20170300144