The Garden

In both his Japanese gouache paintings and?nanga?watercolors, Goutara incorporated techniques drawn from Western plein air and realist approaches. He was renowned for his technical skills.? "Southern Charm," shown in the 1st Taiwan Arts Exhibition, showcases his exacting brushwork and tasteful choices of color. In "Observation from Nenggao," part of his "Taiwan Mountains and Seas" series, he breaks away from ordinary ink-wash techniques, using bold brushwork and contrasting light and dark washes to capture the majestic aura of the changing light in Taiwan's mountain regions. In? "Crashing Waves at Beiguan," part of the same series, his brushwork is even bolder and more unconstrained, depicting surging waves on Taiwan's northeastern coastline engulfing shoreline boulders, a stunning portrayal.? Compared with ?Southern Charm's elaborate composition and gorgeously decorative colors, or the heroic majesty of ?his "Taiwan Mountains and Seas" series,?The "Garden" ?is elegant in its simplicity. Goutara probably painted the picture in the 1920s, after leaving Taichung to teach in Taipei. The tight-knit composition depicts a papaya tree, two turkeys, and a bamboo fence, brilliantly rendered with contour drawing and vivid gouache colors. Unpainted areas are covered with gold leaf, highlighting the work's decorative function. The painting deftly captures the leisurely ambiance of a Taiwanese countryside garden in days gone by.