Tamsui Landscape (Tamsui)

When Chen Cheng-po was a student in the education department of the Taiwan Governor-General's National Language School in Taipei, he received instruction from Ishikawa Kinichiro, Chen's first exposure to Western painting. In 1929, after graduating from Tokyo School of Fine Arts depart of art pedagogy, he served as an honorary professor in Shanghai, teaching at Shanghai Xinhua College of Fine Arts, Changming College of Fine Arts, and the Shanghai Yiyuan Painting Research Association. He played an active role in Taiwan's art circles, founding the Chi-Hsing Painting Society, the Chih-Yang Painting Association, and the Chih-Tao Painting Society, making invaluable contributions to art and culture in Taiwan. Although Chen received strict, orthodox training, his style never lost its innocence and simplicity. His unique brushwork and bold use of color transmit to viewers his passion for art. Chen painted? "Tamsui Landscape (Tamsui)" ?after returning from China. Tamsui scenery was his main inspiration during this period, his creative peak.?The painting takes a bird's-eye view, the visual focal point a little winding road. Houses rise up on both sides of the road, their "flying eaves" turned skyward, forming a tiered spatial arrangement, richly varied. Green trees are scattered among the red-tile rooftops, creating vivid contrast and picturesque charm. Chen's simple, unadorned brushwork reveals the classical elegance and vibrant beauty of the Tamsui landscape.