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Private Treasure ——An introduction to the , , glue color, charcoal sketches and watercolor works of Chen Cheng-po By Tung-Fu∗

Preface This volume enlists watercolor , charcoal sketches, ink wash paintings, glue color paintings, calligraphy and all works other than oil paintings and sketches by Chen Cheng-po. Watercolor was the medium Chen favored most, his creations stretching the Taiwan Governor Mandarin School (hereinafter referred to as Mandarin School), Tokyo School of Fine Arts and teaching periods, to his return to Taiwan towards the end of 1930. The charcoal sketches, ink wash paintings and calligraphy are mainly from Chen’s time at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and include works created after graduating from the school. The glue color paintings were course assignments created during the Tokyo School of Fine Arts period. Although the course assignments were not official works, they were works created without deliberate modification, naturally revealing Chen’s learning process as well as the formation of his . Therefore, the works included in the volume are of great reference value for the study of the formation of Chen Cheng-po’s painting style and artistic habits. These works have never been publicly displayed and can be described as Chen’s private treasure. The subsequent discussions are in the sequence of calligraphy, ink wash, glue color, charcoal sketch then watercolor.

I. Calligraphy Calligraphy was an important screening indicator of the ancient Chinese imperial examination1, and in Han culture regarded as a rudimentary literary attainment of the intelligentsia. Under the influence of traditional values and the sayings “the worth of other pursuits is small, the study of books excels them all” and “he who excels in study can follow with official career”, children took basic calligraphy training to write with a brush during the start of literacy. Chen’s father, Chen Shou-Yu (1867-1909) was a Qing Dynasty scholar. As he passed the Qing Dynasty scholar selection exam, naturally, he had mastered to considerable extent the official Guangeti style of calligraphy. It is worth noting that the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Chiayi City has a collection of calligraphy

∗ Huang Tung-Fu: Vice President of the National Pingtung University of Education and Professor of Department of Visual Arts 1 See Art Education History of (2003). Huang Dong-Fu, : Shih-Da Shu Yuan. p.51-52.

1 by Chen Shou-Yu. The National Museum of Taiwan Literature in Tainan also maintains a collection of a number of his brush exercise calligr aphy (both donated by Chen’s family members). The works reveal that the regular script of small characters by Chen Shou-Yu emulated ’s calligraphy style, which was spiritual and elegant. And his running script and cursive script followed the style of two Wangs (Xizhi and Xianzhi), combined with Mi Fu and Wang Duo’s bold style, natural and without any pretense. This was different and surpassed the Guangeti style. His work was highly artistic and reached the level of calligraphers. It is likely Chen Cheng-po often got the chance to watch his father write calligraphy when he was young. Chen Shou-Yu also passed on a significant 2 number of brush scripts and calligraphy exercises after his death which Chen Cheng-po kept and treasured. The Master 's Homilies for Families collection was passed down three generations completely Date unknown intact, which is quite rare. How did calligraphy and its styles Ink on paper influence Chen Cheng-po? This will be a topic that deserves 136.7×68cm further study in the future. When Chen Cheng-po studied at Mandarin School, he learned calligraphy for three years in school courses3. Unfortunately, those early year calligraphic works are long gone. During Chen’s time at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (1924-1927), the entrance exam included calligraphy and the school required a three-hour calligraphy exercise course each week through the three years of fine arts training4. Looking at the student yearbook of the Department of Fine Arts of Tokyo University of the Arts, the only teacher who taught brush writing during the three years that Chen studied there5 was Okada. Therefore, Okada was probably the one who conducted Chen’s calligraphy training. Among Chen’s calligraphy works, regular script Master Chu’s Homilies for Families was the most mature and the closest to a formal work. The works can be dated to the period after his graduation from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. This volume also contains a collection of Chen’s calligraphy works never seen by the public. The works date to the Tokyo School of period and retain corrections made by his teacher Okada. The inscriptions suggest that the works were assignments completed through Chen’s third

2 60 calligraphy works by Chen Shou-yu have been donated to the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Chiayi City by the Chen family; and 392 test post assignment works have been donated to the National Museum of Taiwan Literature in Tainan by the family members. 3 See Calligraphy Education at Taiwan Elementary School in Japanese Colonial Period, Yeh -Tan, (1999) for the education calligraphy teachers at public schools during Japanese colonial period, Taipei: Hui- Feng-Tang. p.19-43. 4 See Toshiaki Shirane (2012) Chen Cheng-po’s Japanese Glue color Painting, edited by the Committee of Soka Art Center (2012) and included into Under the Searing Sun ─ A Solo Exhibition by Chen Cheng-po, Taipei: Qin Xuan Cultural & Education Foundation, p.34-35. 5 See Student Yearbook of the Department of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts (1981), p.15-35.

2 year of undergraduate study. Some of the works were signed “Chen (陳)” with no first name and had teacher’s corrections which suggested the works were course assignments. Furthermore, Chen Cheng-po and Liao Ji-chun were the only students from Taiwan as shown in the yearbook of the Fine Arts Department. Also, only one student had the surname Chen (陳)6, so it can easily be identified that the “陳” on the works were indeed Chen Cheng-po’s signatures.

Confucian Analects, Book IX: Zi Han 1926 Ink on paper 29.2×130.3cm

Chen Cheng-po’s first year calligraphic works in regular script and running regular script were emulated from copybooks. The calm and restrained brush strokes reflected considerable basic calligraphy training from early family education or the calligraphy foundation Chen developed in Mandarin School. His third year works included a large amount of cursive and near cursive writing of haiku which moved past copybook boundaries and represented his distinct style. Further analysis of his works also uncovered a combination of different calligraphic styles in the same work. There were often mixes of regular script, running script and running script with Japanese interpenetration. For example, in Chen’s horizontal banner writing, Confucian Analects, Book IX: Zi Han: Yan Yuan sighed and said, “I looked up to them, and they seemed to become higher…” The main body was mostly written in regular script, but there were many words written in the running script formation, such as “Ran (然)”, “Qian (前)”, “Shan (善)”, “Yu (欲)” ... etc., can be described as running-regular script. In addition, the words “Yue (約)”, “Ba (罷)”, “Neng (能)”, etc. are written in typical running script. The intermixing of chirography indicated Chen’s immature style shortly after he abandoned the copybook. Also, the structure of Chen’s regular script seems to be based on Ou Yang-Xun, but the point of the initial stroke moved directly into the front hinted slightly of Chu Sui-liang and Zhi Yong. The horizontal stroke often ended in pause brush and a push back that closely resembled the style of Yen (Zhen-Qin), Liu (Gong-Quan) while the structure of vertical pen stroke and drop are close to Yan and Liu. As for the running script, it seemed that Chen was influenced by the style of Wang Xizhi’s Ji Zi Sheng Jiao Xu (集字聖教序). Overall, Chen’s calligraphy style had little trace of a definite model which may have been the result of learning from Ink Script Version. It is also worth noting that Chen created a few banners during his third year calligraphy exercises which adopted running script at the right and cursive Japanese Hiragana at the left part (with running-regular script within running script). The Japanese was especially smooth and clearly superior to the running script and regular script. It could have been an outcome of observation and imitation from the demonstrations his teachers gave in the classroom. The fluency of unrestrained rhythm in the Japanese writing may also

6 Ibid., p.355-356.

3 have been more suited to Chen’s naive and enthusiastic7 personality. Master Chu’s Homilies for Families–the central scroll of calligraphy in regular script was basically Chen’s continuation of the regular script style from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts period. He also incorporated the calligraphy styles of Ou, Chu, Yan, Liu and Zhi Yong, etc. to become more mature and attain better overall sense. Curiously, there were a lot of words clearly tilted to the left (such as the last line of the word “Ruo (若)”, “Shu (庶)”, “Yan (焉)”, etc.) which may be related to Chen’s writing posture– his left shoulder tilted slightly downwards while his right shoulder was slightly lifted8. The inscription “Yin- Chuan Chen Qing-Lan Lu (穎川陳慶瀾錄)”–“Yin-Chuan (穎川)” was the Han nationality ancestral hall name of Chen’s family and “Qing-Lan (慶瀾)” was the nickname he used when he taught in Shanghai. He often added the name “Qing-Lan (慶瀾)” in smaller font under his name and his Fujian, Longxi or Fujian, Zhangzhou on the lower left side of his business card, showing his identification with the Motherland. Therefore, works signed “Yin-Chuan Chen Qing-Lan Lu (穎川陳慶瀾錄)” were most likely done while Chen taught in Shanghai (1929.3-1933.6). After entering the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Chen’s calligraphy style gradually advanced from copybook emulations to free fusion of his learned experience and self-application. The structure of his calligraphy was less exciting than the transformation of his brush strokes– different scripts and the combination of different strokes interspersed in the same work–but the latter had not reached fully harmony and maturity. Still, the free, natural and self-expressing attitude in Chen’s calligraphy pushed beyond traditional conventions and was also reflected in his paintings in some way. The significance of his calligraphy training at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts to the development of Chen’s calligraphy in the following years is not obvious. However, it enhanced his realization of the expressiveness of lines and may have helped drive his merging elements of Chinese aesthetics to his painting style after he graduated and started teaching in Shanghai.

II. The archive of Chen’s ink paintings can be broadly divided into three chronological categories: 1. Eight pieces of freehand ink painting assignments done in the first year at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1924, which are preserved by Chen’s descendants; 2. The branch of flowers ink wash painting published on page 4 of the Taiwan Daily News on June 29, 1927; 3. The ink wash painting Shanshui Fan done in Dong-Shan Township,

7 Chen’s friend Wang Bai-yuan (1902-1965) has described Chen as “naïve and enthusiastic, consider himself as an art apostle.” See Movement in Taiwan, by Wang Bai-yuan, in Taipei Artifacts, Vol.3 No.4, 1955.3, P. 23. 8 According to my student, Professor Zhuang Zhe-yan, “in my years of teaching calligraphy, students who write tilted left are usually left-handed, or, their writing posture is with the left shoulder down and right shoulder slightly lifted.” I have verified with Chen's eldest son, Mr. Chen Chung-kuang via Mr. Chen -bo that Chen Cheng-po used to paint and write with his right hand.

4 Tainan County in 1946 (Chen family collection). The following are discussions in that order.

Morning Glory Loquat 1924-1925 Date unknown Ink on paper Ink-colour on paper 33.5×31.5cm 33×32.6cm

Persimmon 1924-1925 Ink-colour on paper 67×31.5cm

During Chen’s three years at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, there was a course every school year, but no Southern Painting or Ink Wash Painting9 courses. As mainstream Japanese painting in Tokyo at the time was the meticulous and colorful glue color painting. The ink wash paintings completed during Chen’s first year in school could have been practice with ink medium during a Japanese painting course. The first seven out of eight ink paintings depicted branch of flowers in freehand style while the eighth painting was a painting with less strokes and boneless painting style. Among the seven flower paintings, Morning Glory, Persimmon and Loquat closely observed nature without the expressiveness of the ink. In contrast, the other four paintings utilized relatively experienced brush and ink skills as well as traditional forms, indulged in the expression of brush and ink perhaps acquired from copying assignments with certain styles. In the latter four flower paintings Chen seemed to pursue changes in thick and light shades as well as the wetness and dryness of ink, which are very close to the Shijo School ink wash paintings that Lin Yu-Shan learned after entering Tokyo Kawabata Painting School around the same time. As for the eighth , it could have been an improvised sketch with reference to a ready composition. Most of the ink wash painting assignments in the first year of school were done very fast and were meant to explore the properties of the medium. The motivation behind these paintings was not to present formal artworks as the style was smooth and delicate, typical of Japanese Ink Wash Paintings. With the exception of Loquat which was a little heavier and showed the charm of the Shanghai School of Painting that existed during the years of the early Republic of China. Chen Cheng-po’s ink wash painting printed on the fourth page of the Taiwan Daily News on June 29, 1927, did not have a title. The label at right only indicated, “Solo exhibition

9 Ibid. 4.

5 in the museum, Chiayi Chen Cheng-po’s western painting was selected last year, work.” At the lower left corner of the page, there is a report on Chen’s solo exhibition with the title of “Mo Shen Yu Run (墨瀋餘潤)”. The print quality of the painting was poor, and only branch of flowers stretching from left to the right can be vaguely identified. And the type of flower was not easy to recognize. However, in terms of composition and the shape of foliage, it was painted meticulously on-site, with the finish of a formal artwork. Although the print was not clear, the intriguing display of ink in precise and natural brush strokes plus the dynamic composition make it a mature ink wash painting. At that time, Chen completed his undergraduate study and began the first year of graduate school. The consciousness of ink wash painting during this period was at the peak of his career in painting. The Shanshui Fan painted at Dong-Shan Township in 1946 was a self-expressive landscape in literati painting style. Though a virtue landscape, it still revealed Chen’s perspective rules derived from his long-term painting nature. The fan painting in heavy ink and fewer brush strokes exudes naïve, humble and calm in the composition, close to the Shanghai Shanshui Fan Wu Chang-shuo School’s Jin-Shi painting style. 1946 While in Shanghai, Chen taught at the Chang-Ming Ink on paper Art College chaired by Wang Zhen (-Ting), a 22.5×40cm disciple of Wu Chang-shuo. teachers in the school were mainly disciples of Wu Chang-shuo10 so Chen’s paintings during this period were most likely influenced by Wu’s Jin-Shi style. This fan painting seemed like an improvised and carefree work, but it displayed well-rounded ink and brush skills in a sort of careless manner, conformed to the Chinese proverb, “no intention to be good is good”. By reviewing the styles of Chen’s ink wash paintings during the three periods, one can easily notice a great difference between them. The paintings from the first two periods have more Japanese taste, and are smooth and delicate. The foundation of Chen’s ink wash painting was apparently not as good as his calligraphy when he entered Tokyo School of Fine Arts. But during the first year of graduate study, Chen’s ink wash paintings greatly improved and were surely better than his calligraphy. In his later years, Chen’s ink wash painting greatly evolved to the bold, vigorous and forceful aspects of the Shanghai Jin-Shi style. The dramatic transformation may have reflected a perspective of the environment at the time as well as Chen’s own journey of mind.

10 Wang Zhen, Principal; Zhu Wen-yun, Dean of Studies and Wang Xian, Director of Chinese Painting at Chang Ming Art College were all disciples of Wu Chang-shuo. Wu Mai, the Vice Principal and Director of General Affairs was the third son of Wu Chang-shuo. See The Chinese Aesthetics in Chen Cheng-po’s Painting–The Development in the Shanghai Teaching Period, by Huang Tung-Fu, Art of Taiwan, No. 87, P. 4-31 (2012).

6 Recent research by scholars state that while Chen studied in Japan, it was a time when “Oriental” was a trend in the world. Exchanges between Japan and China were most active and the relationship between the two countries was at its closest. Even Masaki Naohiko, the Principal of Tokyo School of Fine arts and Seigai Omura, the Professor of both stressed the importance of learning from the ancient art of China. Chen also made acquaintance of Chinese painter Wang Yi-yun during this period. Also notable among these factors was the influence of the political atmosphere. The Japanese cultural sector had formed a so-called “Oriental” concept which stressed a Japan-centered worldview. In other words, the Empire of Japan tried to replace China as leader in East Asia culture. The Japanese viewed and arts as previously glorious but in decline. So they believed that it depended on the efforts of Japan to replace and create a new Oriental art form for the new era to compete with Western art11. Given the circumstance, it was understandable that during the five years at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Chen’s ink wash paintings reflected the delicate features of the art in Japanese style. Chen Cheng-po’s arrival to Shanghai gave him direct contact to ancient traditions and an opportunity to meet and learn from the Shanghai School of Painting Masters. The encounters shifted his perception of ink wash painting to the extent of transforming his painting style. Although Chen’s matured ink wash paintings are not easy to find, it is without question that the attainments of his ink wash paintings far exceed his calligraphy. And the attainments of his ink wash paintings contributed greatly to the realization of Chinese aesthetic in Chen’s oil paintings.

III. Glue Color Painting Hirata Shodo12 was Chen Cheng-po’s teacher of Nihonga (Japanese painting) at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Hirata graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts Department of Nihonga in 1906 (Meiji 39). His graduation painting Late Autumn was a meticulous and colorful painting of flowers and birds13. Utilizing the outlines filled with colors technique, his brush lines presented subtle changes in response to images of different texture and created a sense of space and atmosphere. Even from the perspective of traditional Chinese flower-and-bird claborate-style painting of strong colors, Hirata's works demonstrated both skill and verve. His painting Flowers Vying with Each Other in Beauty, selected to the 10th Ministry of Education Art Exhibition (1916), was a pair of screens that presented flower-and-bird using strong colors in decorative

11 See A Pivotal Moment in Taiwanese Modern Art–Chen Cheng-po’s Shanghai Period in Historical, by Tsaiji Lyu (2012), included in Journey through Jiangnan–A pivotal moment in Chen Cheng-po’s Artistic quest, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, p.6-31. 12 Ibid. 4. 13 The painting was included in Nihonga–Tokyo School of Fine Arts, : Kyoto Shoin Kabushiki , Shouwa 58 (1983) , p.163.

7 style. Relevant sources indicated that traditional claborate-style flower-and-bird painting of strong colors (glue color) were clearly Hirata's forte. Chen Cheng-po's glue color paintings were all completed at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. The paintings can be divided into three categories grouped to the sequence of Chen’s artistic development. The first batch, including five branches of flowers and birds paintings were done in outlines filled with colors. The second is a scroll that included narrative inspired by ancient Japanese literature. In addition, most representative are two paintings of Japanese ladies dressed in kimono, which were painted in his third year of study.

Bamboo Wild Azalea Loquat Tree Cornflower Lilies 1924-1925 1924 1924 1924-1925 1924-1925 Glue color on Glue color on Glue color on silk Glue color on paper Glue color on paper paper paper 61×51cm 63.5×44.2cm 65.8×44.9cm 65.5×44cm 63×45.5cm

Out of the five glue color paintings completed during Chen’s first year of school (1924), , Wild Azalea and Loquat Tree were close-up renditions of partial plant branches, while Cornflowers and Lilies depicted the whole plant without any background. All paintings adopted close to real-life biological observations and applied the outlines filled with colors technique to the details of stems, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. The folding of the leaves, the stamens of the flower, and the tips of the branches were all meticulously displayed. In terms of composition, the subjects of the 5 paintings were all placed in the center and seemed to be a continuation of Chen’s routine in composition on watercolor before he studied abroad in Japan14. Among the paintings, Loquat Tree should be regarded as one with the highest degree of completion closest to formal work. The work was also the only one painted on silk among the five glue color paintings, and the only one that featured birds in the composition. As silk was the right media to present subtle outlines and layers of dye, the outcome was rich, delicate and elegant. The three small strings of loquat fruit hidden in green leaves complimented the green loquat leaves, having brightened up the tone of the painting. Close to the center of the composition, a pair of white-eye birds are perched in conversation and although in close distance, their postures and expressions vivid. And the delicate dye in the background

14 For the composition on Chen’s early watercolor, see “Life Drawing” and the Construction of Modern Landscape–The Study of Chen Cheng-po’s Early (1913-1924) Watercolor and Concept of Modern Painting, by Pai Shih-ming, 2012, in Sentiments to the Country–International Symposium on Chen Cheng- po and Contemporary Taiwanese Arts, organized by Taiwan Soka Association and Department of Fine Art of National Taiwan Normal University, p.55-86.

8 enhanced the atmosphere of the painting. The influence of Hirata Shōdō is seen in this painting which represented the accomplishments of Chen’s learning of glue color painting during his first year at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Of the remaining glue color paintings by Chen, a narrative scroll based on ancient Japanese literature was especially unusual. The scroll seemed to be done through imitation which was a significantly different approach compared to the other glue color paintings that followed observations of nature. Its style closely resembled Story–Talking Painting, which was a popular literary work on the subject of court nobility during the Kamakura period (1180-1392) in Japan. The scroll adopted the tradition of green tone and heavy coloring, and the perspective taken from a high point looking down at forty- five degrees on a sleeping scene in an aristocratic residence. And the material and structure of the residence was depicted very carefully. The interior arrangements and decorations looked realistic and gorgeous and the horses in the stable and chickens on the trees were all rendered very naturally. To the far right of the residence, the mountain was presented in boneless structure of green tone. To the top, the flowing cloud was depicted by hooked lines following the ancient method to increase the imagination of space and build up the atmosphere. The scroll remained apparently faithful to the original work and seemingly almost without Chen’s own personal style. One motivation could be aimed at learning from Japanese Yamato-e. This shows that Chen was a part of the environment and trend of “Oriental” art, and tried to trace its origins and explore the secrets of Japanese Yamato-e through imitation.

Meditation A Lady (Outing) 1926 1926 Glue color on silk Glue color on silk 126×111cm 120×54cm Meditation and A Lady (Outing) were the two formal silk glue color paintings Chen completed during his third year at Tokyo School of Fine Arts. The subjects of the two works were close-up depictions of ladies dressed in kimono, but they were quite different from the popular images of elegant and beautiful ladies in the mainstream art of Japan. Chen did not portray the slender bodies of the ideal Western model. Rather, he presented the body proportions of an oriental woman or even a Taiwanese woman– their hands were rough with short fingers, their palms coarse from daily housework–and not the fine, slim hands of spoiled women. The facial features of the women were not

9 deliberately refined or elegant, but filled with worldly life. In addition, Chen’s brush lines were not the smooth and skilled lines the masters of lady paintings used at the time. Instead, with his own observations and feelings, he developed a skill utilizing unsmooth lines in the painting. The localized and personalized style of Chen’s lady paintings not only went against the mainstream style of Toyoga, but also differed to the painting style of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition reviewer and famous lady painter Matsuoka Eikyū. These examples reflected the rebellious mind of Chen in painting and his persistence to keep personal style. In comparison, Chen’s paintings depict women who are easily related to as the “girl next door”. In terms of composition, Outing was relatively simple and continued Chen’s earlier preference of placing the subject in the center of the painting and might have been done at a date earlier than Meditation. By contrast, the composition of Meditation shifted its focus to the corners. The main subject was placed at the lower left, where a lady donned in kimono leaned against a maple tree while sitting on the ground in autumn. Her legs bent and stretched gracefully to the right side of the painting and her left hand supported herself from the ground, the shape of her body forming a stable triangular structure. The lady’s head faced down and slightly looks to the side, her eyesight seemed directed to the falling leaves at the lower right of the painting. The viewer’s visual path on the painting could be guided from the fallen leaves at the lower right to the white socks, the legs, the body and the head of the lady, then to the Maple tree trunk, its branches, twigs, leaves… and again to the fallen leaves, white socks…. The rhythm and the sense of space created by the subtle visual movement up and down in a circle on the composition were far more complex and mature than Outing. The dominating color of orange-yellow tone added certain poetic feeling to the simple and plain painting. Chen Cheng-po made Meditation his graduation work as it was the one work he put the most effort into and was the most satisfied with. After entering graduate school, Chen shifted his focus to Western painting. As available data revealed, he never created a glue color painting afterward. For that reason, Meditation was the closing statement of Chen’s experience in glue color painting.

IV. Charcoal Sketches Charcoal sketches have long been considered by art academies as an important foundation for visual arts. Although sketches were rarely accepted as formal works of art, the idea of using sketches to train one’s abilities in depicting, expressing, and creating shapes on a composition was a standard requirement in modern art education (especially at the academy). Also, sketches were often used as references or drafts for the artists’ formal works. As a result, sketches have become the necessary fundamental training of visual artists in the modern world. While studying in Japan, Chen Cheng-po made sketches his regular daily practice and important homework. According to Lin Yu- shan’s memoir, he recalled the time when he and Chen rented a house and lived together while they studied in Tokyo:

10 “Mr. Chen (Cheng-po) and I lived at Kurumazaka, near Ueno Park. He walked to the Tokyo School of Fine Arts every day, and I also walked to Kawabata Painting School at Koishikawa without taking the tram. Mr. Chen studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts during the day and learned sketch drawing at the Hongo Fine Arts Institute at night. Regardless of wind or rain, summer or winter, his diligence in the arts never stopped for a day. The daily life of Mr. Chen was also very simple–no tobacco, alcohol or playing cards. He devoted all his heart and mind in the study of painting and this spirit was greatly admired and followed by his roommates. Every Sunday or during memorial holidays, he did not participate in unnecessary amusement, but travelled to the countryside to paint, or to locations near Ueno Park to paint scenes depicting the museum, the pond, or the flower garden and trees, etc... His painting style was very special–for example, when drawing the human body, the torso was depicted very well, while a small part of the limbs were awkward and looked abnormal. Even in the landscape paintings, he often broke away from perspective and presented in transformation. Inevitably, his paintings looked strange to people accustomed to normal visual perspectives. His skillful manipulation of the pen brush, the wonder and delights in his paintings or his weird style were all derived from the painter’s temper and mind which could not be obtained grudgingly. Mr. Chen’s special and quaint style of painting was completely driven by his strong personality. That’s why Tanabe Itaru, the Western Painting Instructor of Tokyo School of Fine Arts, could not comment on Mr. Chen’s homework assignments, and said, “Mr. Chen’s painting has his unique personality, and I had to let him freely express himself and not confine him at all.” ”15 From the above description, it was obvious that Chen Cheng-po was diligent and grasped every second while studying at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. The mission of the Painting Division was to train painting teachers to teach above secondary school proficiency and its academic and art disciplines were evenly arranged and required students to complete them all. Chen sensed the deep importance of sketches and motivated himself to attend the Hongo Painting Institute chaired by Okazaki Saburo every night to enhance his sketching skills. This Volume contains nearly one hundred charcoal sketches and the majority was human figure sketches, clearly demonstrating the diligence of Chen toward sketching. Human figure sketches an advanced level of sketch training much more difficult than plaster cast sketches. A review of Chen’s human figure sketches Seated Female Nude Sketch-25.6.11 (4) finished during the beginning of the second school year show a degree of finish with rather high quality. This sketch portrays a woman in sitting posture with head down leaning on a high chair. Her contours are exceptionally clear and with resilient texture which emphasize a sculptural sense of mass–he had acquired the ability to control shapes fairly well. Chen’s sketching skills were probably attained from many nights spent at the Hongo Painting Institute. Due to Chen’s strong personality, he did not follow the teachers’ style, but went ahead and based sketches on his own observations and feelings.

15 See The Memory of Friendship with Mr. Chen Cheng-po, by Lin Yu-shan (1979), Lionart Magazine, No. 106, p. 60-62.

11 According to the memory of Zhang Yi-xiong, a student who learned painting from Chen in his teenage years, he heard Nakahori Aisaku, a classmate of Chen in the Painting Division at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, once say:

Seated Female Nude Sketch -25.6.11 (4) Seated Female Nude Sketch -25.10.15 (5) 1925 1925 Charcoal on paper Charcoal on paper 61.5×45cm 62.9×47.6cm “… I remember once, Instructor Tanabe Itaru wanted to modify his sketches. But Cheng- po did not agree with the changes and reversed it back after a while. Due to the fact that Cheng-po demonstrated his strong personality in painting, the professor finally agreed to let Cheng-po express his own ideas freely. As it is, Cheng-po requested to express his strong personality in every painting…”16 The Student Yearbook of the Tokyo University of the Arts indicates Nakahori Ai Saku graduated from the Painting Division at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in March, 1914 (Taisho 3), was seventeen years senior to Chen, four years Instructor Tanabe Itaru’s junior (graduated from Western Painting Division in 1910), and two years later than Taiwan Exhibition Juror Homosuke Shiotsuki (graduated from Painting Division in 1912)17. So, what Nakahori Aisaku said could have been a recount from Instructor Tanabe or Chen’s classmates. Nevertheless, Zhang Yi-xiong’s memory strikes similarities to the statements of Lin Yu-shan, and proves that Chen did not bend to the remarkable achievements and status of Instructor Tanabe to behave himself and follow his guidance. Essentially, his painting style was not influenced at all. Chen’s distinct personality and persistence to his concepts are the main factors that form his painting style. And Instructor Tanabe’s accommodating and respect for his students to follow their own ways also shows openness and tolerance for a renowned instructor.

16 See Mr. Chen Cheng-po and I, recounted by Zhang Yi-xiong and written down by Chen Chung-kuang, 1979, Lionart Magazine, No. 100, p. 126. 17 Student Yearbook of the Art Department of University of Tokyo (1981), p.86, 348, 349.

12 During Chen’s sophomore year, he created a human figure sketch of a sitting figure Seated Female Nude Sketch-25.10.15 (5) which is quite special. On the left empty side of this piece, there is an oval box; inside the box is another drawing of the head of the model at the same angle. The strokes and drawing, however, differ considerably to the main sketches on the right, which could be the demonstration by the teacher. If this conjecture is correct, it can confirm Chen’s habit of not accepting teacher’s direct modification on his drawings. Observing Chen’s sketches of the human figure, there are some characteristics that can be roughly summed up as the following: 1. Emphasizing the characteristics of an oriental body The Japanese scholar Yamanashi Emiko once studied Chen’s nude paintings and indicated the proportion of the subjects’ figures were quite different to Western models, its main purpose to reveal the beauty of oriental models. In the text: At that time, a Japanese woman’s average height was 146cm, their faces 23cm long, and had a body proportion of 6 heads tall.18 She also quoted the painting theory of well-known painter Maeda , who graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts a few years earlier than Chen Cheng-po: “…The characteristics of the Japanese nude, for instance: high joints, short legs, no accents throughout the body, present a different rhythm that Westerners cannot even dream about. In addition, the swelling red face stiffly implanted into the copper-colored short neck, broad shoulder, rounded legs as well as the flattened palms and soles of foot similar to reptiles. The Japanese nude is not pretty when compared to the bodies of the Western nude, but the sense of beauty is the same.”19 Yamanashi classified Chen Cheng-po’s nude paintings and found common qualities of human figure sketching to Japanese nude painters’ of the 1920s and 1930s. By examining the charcoal sketches of Chen in this Volume according to the above criteria, it’s clear that most of Chen’s models were 6 heads tall and their figures similar to what Maeda Kanji described. One slight difference was the palms and soles of Chen’s nude models were not flat, but often rounded and thick, seemingly belonging to women molded by diligent labor. Was this a reflection of Taiwanese women having to till the fields in addition to housework? This is a topic to be left for future discussion. It is worth noting that the human figure sketch works of Instructor Tanabe and Instructor Okazaki Saburo mostly featured Western models with body proportion of 8 heads tall. On the postcards of famous paintings that Chen collected for reference study in the early years and kept by his descendants, the paintings that featured human figures were mostly in the Western standard of female beauty of 8 heads tall. And so, it can be inferred that

18 The Characteristic of Chen Cheng-po’s Nude–Compare with Academy Paintings of Japan ,by Yamanashi Emiko, translated by Li Shu-zh (2012), included in Sentiments to the Country–International Symposium on Chen Cheng-po and Contemporary Taiwanese Arts, organized by Taiwan Soka Association and Department of Fine Art of National Taiwan Normal University, p. 17-24. 19 Ibid. 18, p.22-23.

13 the body proportion Chen used to present the beauty of an oriental female body with local flavor derived from his unique personal preference and persistence. 2. Clear contour in linear expression Compared to painters from Taiwan and Japan during the same period, Chen’s nude and human figure sketches in charcoal emphasized the linear expression, and the contours extraordinarily clear. Linear expression has long been the unique feature of traditional oriental paintings, especially distinguished by Chinese paintings and calligraphy. Chen grew up in the family of a Qing Dynasty scholar with rich Han culture, and lived in the Chiayi area enveloped also by strong Han culture. These cultural environments affected his feelings toward Chinese culture and the Motherland, China. Also, long-term calligraphy training stimulated his understanding of the importance of the lines. Coupled with his strong will to pursue an individual style in painting, Chen chose to use vivid linear expression and strokes in charcoal sketches to elaborate his personality. This linear element also displays a strong personal style in his oil paintings and watercolors. 3. Powerful sculptural mass The female nudes in charcoal sketch by Chen Cheng-po are exceptionally vigorous and strong with the sense of sculptural mass, which was rather different from his peers and academics. Especially the charcoal sketches of a nude in lying position Reclining Female Nude Sketch- 26.6.26 (2) done during the third year of his undergraduate study. At first glance, it reminds one of Renoir’s paintings of human figures toward the later period of his life. The Reclining Female Nude Sketch-26.6.26 (2) difference was the heads and hands of the 1926 Charcoal on paper 46.7×62.2cm female nudes painted by Renoir were quite small in proportion and the sense of mass on the paintings less powerful than Chen’s. However, Renoir was one of Chen’s favorite Western masters. Chen Cheng-po mentioned in his writing Casual Thought at Creation in 1935: “…Isn’t it pleasant to create with oriental colors and feelings after absorbing the concepts of Renoir’s dynamic lines and Van Gogh’s (1853-1890) brush techniques?”20 Though Chen’s statement referred mainly to oil paintings and especially his appreciation for the dynamic lines in Renoir’s paintings, there were distinguishing sculptural qualities in his charcoal human figure sketches also inspired by Renoir’s painting style to a considerable degree. Another peculiar aspect was that Chen’s human figure sketches focused on the formative expression of the body and limbs and often left out details of the face, hair,

20 The text was originally published on Taiwan Literature & Art in July, 1935, and taken from Landscape & Mind–The Review of Taiwanese Arts, by Yan Juan-ying (2001), Taipei: Lionart Book, p.161.

14 palms, and soles of the feet. When painting hands, for example, he often omitted the depiction of the joints at the side of the wrist, and only detailed the fingers as was described in Lin Yu-shan’s memoir. However, due to the consideration of the need for expression, he would sometimes pay more attention to the observation of and the practice on the joints of the limbs, such as work Feet Sketch-26.11.19. When he continued the depiction of the body afterward, the expression of the subject matter would then be more objective and subtle, such as work Seated Female Nude Sketch- 27.2.18 (15). In terms of this aspect, Chen talked about his depiction of the nude for an interview by Taiwan Xinmin Daily in 1933: “... What I keep trying to express is, 1. The presence of the image of nature and objects. 2. Repeatedly thinking about the images projected in the brain, then refining them and capturing the moment worth depicting. 3. There has to be “something” in the works. These are my attitude towards painting... ”21

Feet Sketch-26.11.19 Seated Female Nude Sketch- Standing Female Nude 1926 Charcoal on paper 27.2.18 (15) Sketch-26.1.22 (12) 45.8×30cm 1927 Charcoal on paper 1926 Charcoal on paper 63.1×48.7cm 63.3×48.4cm

Seemingly, the selective partial close-up was what he chose worth depicting after observing the subject matter, repeatedly considering all aspects and refining it, that “something”. In fact, Chen was able to draw the human figure to the standard requirement of academics during his sophomore year at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, as demonstrated by Standing Female Nude Sketch-26.1.22 (12). The shape and layers in the drawing is quite delicate and possessed atmosphere. In October of the same year, Chen’s painting Chiayi Street, also finished to the academic standards, was selected to the 7th Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition. It’s obvious that Chen had the ability in artistic expression to academic standards. However, he chose to respect his own feelings and found another way to express his art.

21 The text was originally published on Studio Tour (10) Drawing of Nude–Chen Cheng-po in Taiwan Hsin- Ming Daily in 1933, and taken from Express “Something”– The Study of Chen Cheng-po’s Painting, by Lee Shu-zhu, and translated by Lee Shu-zhu and Huang Wen-yu, 2012, Taipei: Collection Publication, p.305.

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V. Watercolor This Volume includes around a hundred pieces of Chen Cheng-po’s watercolor exercises, and more than half of them created during the Mandarin School period and the period of Public School teaching. Works done in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts and after graduation comprise less than half of the total. Professor Bai Shi-ming systematically and chronologically organized Chen’s early watercolor works before he studied in Japan (1913-1924), ordered by year, title, size, inscription, collection location, as well as their current condition, and analyzed the underlining consciousness of modern painting in the watercolor. The study found that in early watercolor works done before Chen studied in Japan he highlighted the landmarks and positioned them in the center of the composition. The depicted scenes were often the juxtaposition of the past and the present as well as the old and the new, which were “contradictory but co-existing” with “Taiwanese, Japanese, Western” cultures also interlaced. Chen’s scene selection differed to his Instructor Ishikawa Kinnichiro, who deliberately avoided modern locations for his paintings. Chen also liked to depict clusters of animals and birds as motif and tried to break away from the academics’ regulation and stereotypes to expand his vision inspired by teacher Ishikawa, so to create his own prototype landscape and to render his recognition of the land and his awareness of modern landscape.22 Bai’s analysis was concrete and appropriate, and highlighted the characteristics of early watercolor works by Chen Cheng-po. His study also reaffirmed Chen’s strong self- awareness in his paintings, and his unwillingness to follow his teachers’ styles was discernible even as early as his Mandarin school period. In the Chronology of Early Watercolor (1913-1924) by Chen Cheng-po arranged by Bai, the painting Street View preserved by Chen’s family is considered to be a work by Ishikawa Kinichiro23. Carefully comparing the painting style–the elegant, ethereal and poetic qualities are truly aligned with the style of watercolor by Ishikawa, as was the proficiency of the painting skill shown. They are quite different from the simple, unadorned, as well as thick and solid features of watercolor by Chen. This watercolor work was very simple, and lacked further process for layers and space, likely unfinished and with no signature. It can be inferred that the work was likely an outdoor sketch demonstration by Instructor Ishikawa for Chen when they were out painting from nature. When inspecting the skill of Chen’s watercolor works done during the Mandarin school period, the influences of Instructor Ishikawa on colors, brushwork and even composition are quite evident, often applying light and transparent watercolor, with clear lines and small strokes, relatively close to ink wash painting. The work A Corner of the Museum finished in 1916 shows that Chen emerged with his own style under the shadow of teacher Ishikawa. Cliff done in the same year, displayed crisp composition and natural color changes, with the sense of space and atmosphere simply displayed. The work was

22 Ibid. 14. 23 Ibid. 14, p. 76.

16 obviously the masterpiece from this period. After he taught at public schools, Chen clearly broke away from the style of Instructor Ishikawa and dared to explore. This is evident especially in the paintings Taiwan Farmhouse and Farmhouse and Chickens done while he taught at Shui-Jue-Tou Public Schools (Shui-Shang Public School)(1920.4- 19214.3). Chen applied a dull blue and brown tone, big brush strokes, simple expression, and freely carried the dripping water and brush strokes on the painting. The approach was very different from Ishikawa’s and displayed a strong personality. Works Farmhouse and Farmer, Park, and Tropic of Cancer Post are mostly in blue-green colors, with strong, thick and bolder strokes, powerful and like oil paintings, and seem to be painted with more confidence. These pieces have clearly departed from the elegant and ethereal purple tone of Ishikawa’s style, and can be rated as the representative watercolor works of Chen before he studied in Japan.

Taiwan Farmhouse Tropic of Cancer Post 1921 1921-1923 Watercolor on paper Watercolor on paper A Corner of the Museum 23.5×31cm 24×28.5cm 1916 Standing Nude Female Watercolor on paper Leaning Against a Chair 31×24cm 1925 Watercolor on paper 51×34.6cm

During his academic training in Japan, Chen was inspired by the impressionist and post- impressionist movements popular in Japan at the time. His compositions became more rigorous, the colors grew richer, and the subject matter increasingly diverse. Nudes were the new subjects that appeared in his works during his studies in Japan. His watercolors, especially Nude in Front of Window, Nude Female and Vase, Standing Nude Female Leaning Against a Chair, were completed with high quality. The first two watercolor works even displayed heavy and rich colors just like in oil paintings. It was unlikely that these works were just exercises in watercolor before oil paintings. Chen’s landscape works while studying in Japan such as Village at the Foot of the Mountain, were presented in light colors but precise with a sense of the airy atmosphere. By the Woods displayed rich, thick and strong colors and layers, and Farmhouse and Trees was lively and natural. These two works can be seen as the continuation of the style from the period when Chen taught at public school, but are more freely controlled at his own pleasure and showed higher quality of finished works. Dusk and Mountain View presented smooth and free strokes with water, color and ink in full and running, and seemed to capture the fleeting feeling almost like an expressive ink wash painting with simple strokes, completely detached from the paintings done before the Japan period. They may have been drafts made prior to the production of oil

17 paintings. Reflection and Watery Town have the brush strokes and motifs of ink wash paintings as well as the sense of thickness and solidness in oil paintings. These works seemed very close to the style of his oil paintings during the Shanghai period and may have been drafts of oil paintings as well. The series of paintings created in 1939 – Rock at Seaside and Seaside – were works that tried to depict the same seascape utilizing different painting skills. They have the heaviness of oil paintings, while the strokes on the reefs were very close to “hemp-fiber” texture strokes and “bent band” texture strokes in traditional ink wash paintings. The water lines at the foreground were created with the line drawing of ink wash paintings, and showed the fusion of oriental aesthetic and the concepts in oil painting. Generally speaking, the painting style in Chen’s watercolor works after his studies in Japan were more mature and free, and applied a mix of various techniques. Many works were quite thick and solid like in oil paintings. While in Japan, Chen apparently focused on oil paintings, and the watercolor exercises were closely related to the oil paintings. It is also clear that he incorporated his experiences in ink wash painting, calligraphy and glue color painting to the creation of watercolor. Although many of his watercolor works look like exercises for oil paintings and are different from the mainstream watercolor paintings in Japan and Taiwan during the time, there are quite a few of them filled with dynamic energy and, in terms of the aesthetic on watercolor, can be considered masterpieces with vivid personality.

By the Woods Farmhouse and Trees Reflection Seaside Date unknown Date unknown Date unknown 1939 Watercolor on paper Watercolor on paper Watercolor on paper Watercolor on paper 15.8×21.7cm 15.5×21.5cm 40×47.5cm 40.5×49cm

Conclusion Chen Cheng-po maintained strong self-consciousness in his pursuit art, which was evident as early as the Mandarin school period, when he learned watercolor paintings from Instructor Ishikawa whom he greatly admired. From selecting scenes, creating scenes, to the use of techniques, Chen displayed a personal style distinct from Ishikawa’s. Chen’s distinct style became more apparent after he taught at the public schools. After the full range of academic training at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Chen expanded his selection of media and diversified the formats of his artworks. His expression in art developed to a more delicate and mature state. His calligraphy, ink wash paintings and glue color paintings broke away from tradition and his mentors, and inclined to follow his own will to integrate different styles to reveal his own character while at the same time, furthering his understanding of the oriental aesthetics. After Chen studied in Japan, his charcoal sketches and watercolor works presented the

18 control of mass and the heaviness, as the lines and strokes were highlighted to reveal the qualities of oriental aesthetic and echoed in his oil paintings as well. And his approaches were also noticeably different from his teachers’ styles. His distance to the influences of his teachers, persistence in displaying his personality, and the control of the oriental and local elements in the arts are the important foundation of Chen Cheng- po's remarkable artistic achievements.

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