Print

Length:44.5 x Width:34.3 (cm)

Chen Chin-Jung (b. 1934, Changhua) studied in the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University, where he was mentored by painters such as Chang Yi-Hsiung (1914-2016) and Liao Chi-Chun (1902-1976). During this time, he also joined the “May Painting Society,” a modernist art group led by Liu Kuo-Sung (1932-). After graduation, he pursued further studies in Japan, enrolling in the mural painting program at Tokyo University of the Arts and becoming Taiwan’s first artist to specialize in murals. He later returned to teach in his alma mater’s fine arts department. Known for his mastery of mosaic, fresco, and printmaking, Chen works across a variety of media.
Cattle on the Grassland is a mezzotint print in which Chen skillfully renders light and shadow with remarkable delicacy. The result is a highly realistic image that resembles a pencil drawing. The composition is simple and direct: cattle are scattered across a vast expanse of grassland. Those in the foreground are clearly defined, with visible musculature and bone structure brought out by nuanced contrasts of light and dark. In contrast, the sky and the field are sketched in with only a few lines, each occupying roughly half the frame. This balance guides the eye to the far horizon, where space and time seem to pause, evoking a calm, contemplative stillness.

Accession number:20170300023