Ink Painting

Length:90.7 x Width:52.2 (cm)

Shen Yao-Chu (1907-1990, Shao’an, Fujian) was born Shen Chung-Yu and was known by the sobriquet Shih-Tu Jen, studied painting in his youth under Shen Ching-Hu (1858-1936). He attended Shantou Arts Normal School, the art program at Longxi (now Zhangzhou) Vocational High School, and Shantou Shih-Chung Junior College. In 1948, wartime circumstances left him stranded in Taiwan, where he taught in various locations before retiring in 1966 to live in seclusion in Taichung and devote himself to painting. Initially unrecognized, Shen’s work went largely unnoticed until 1973, when art critic Yao Meng-Ku (1912-1993) brought it to public attention, earning him the nickname “a jade hidden deep in the mountains.” In 1974, he received the Gold Award from the Chinese Painting Society of the Republic of China, and in 1987 he was named one of Taiwan’s top ten artists.
Shen’s subjects were most often drawn from the rural landscapes and village life around him, with flowers, grasses, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, insects, and fish appearing frequently in his work. Two Ducks captures a pair of ducks facing each other with a few deft strokes. Shen skillfully uses variations of black and yellow ink washes to suggest the volume and plumage of the birds, vividly conveying their posture and spirit while demonstrating his mastery of brush and ink. On the right, reeds are outlined in pale ink and touched with ochre, enriching the composition, balancing the scene, and adding a subtle sense of movement.
Inscription: “Yao-Chu.”
Seals: “Shen Yao-Chu” and “Kuei Lu.”

Accession number:20170300024