Oil Painting

1977

Length:43.8 x Width:31.5 (cm)

Yang Chi-Tung (1906-2003, Fengyuan, Taichung) studied at the Taiwan Provincial Normal School (now National Taipei University of Education), where he trained under Japanese painter Ishikawa Kinichiro (1871-1945). He began his career in watercolor, often using opaque pigments to create a deeper, more saturated texture, and later shifted to oil painting. His works were frequently selected for both the Taiwan Governor-General’s Art Exhibition and the Salon de Paris. As a co-founder of the Central Taiwan Art Association, Yang also helped establish the Central Taiwan Watercolor Society and Southeast Fine Arts Association. Through his prolific writings and leadership, he played a key role in developing the Central Taiwan art scene.
Temple in the Setting Sun (1977) is one of Yang’s later oil paintings. It depicts the lively scene of a local temple at dusk, where worshippers gather and vendors attract small clusters of customers. This everyday image evokes the warmth and vibrancy of Taiwanese temple culture. Two tall trees in the foreground draw the viewer’s gaze toward the temple and plaza behind them, where golden sunlight filters in from the rear of the shrine. Yang used rich, heavy oil pigments and a flat-brush technique throughout the composition, creating a grounded, honest atmosphere filled with warmth and human presence.

Accession number:20170300042