臺南美術史

Shi Yu-Shan, Festival of Chaotian Temple, 1929. Catalogue of the 3rd Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition).

This painting, Festival of Chaotian Temple, by Shi Yu-Shan (1907-1960) was selected into the 3rd Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition). Delineating the festive event celebrating the Lantern Festival at Beigang Chaotian Temple in Yunlin County (which was within Tainan Prefecture during the period of Japanese rule), the artist mixed Western single-point perspective and the artistic featuers also observed in Along the River During the Qingming Festival (清明上河圖), including moving perpective, horizontal narrative, and reconstructed assemblage of a panoramic view, to portray the boisterous streets near Chaotian Temple. With minute details, Shi delineated the temple’s decorations and the terraced townhouses with overhangs. The triangular corners formed by the streets have sharp angles, slanting and extending towards the background in an orderly and compact fashion, which is reminiscent of the German expressionist style of the Brücke. In the painting, the dancing dragon and lion, the Seventh Lord and the Eighth Lord, cars as well as figures in Western-style, Japanese-style, and Han-style clothes collectively embody the “local color” characterized by the coexistence of the modern and the traditional. A journalist pointed out the uneven sizes of figures in the image on Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shinpo (Taiwan Daily News), stating that “the sizes of the figures near and far lack naturalness.” However, as a self-taught artist, the artist indeed demonstrated painting qualities different from the artistic viewpoints emphasized by the Japanese-style Painting Division at the Taiten, which were painting from life and realist depiction.

References:
Liu, Chi-Yu. “Festival of Chaotian Temple.” Missing Pieces – Taifuten Historical Archives. http://taifuten.com/oblect/朝天宮的祭典/ (viewed on 2023.10.6)
Lin, Jung-Yeh. “Missing Pieces: Flourishing and Bustling Scenes in Festival Painting—Shi Yu-Shan.” https://taifuten.com/story/【名單之後】繁華熱鬧的祭典畫-施玉山/#:~:text=其畫幅與內容，雖然,慶典的繁華與熱鬧%E3%80%82 (viewed on 2023.10.6)

Shih Yu-Shan
Shih Yu-Shan (1907-1960) was born in Tainan, and was a self-taught painter. His daytime job was a fishmonger. In 1928, Shih joined the Chun-Meng Painting Society (春萌畫會), where he was able to observe and learn from other members. In 1931, Chiayi-based lawyer-poet Lai Yu-Ruo (賴雨若; years of birth and death unknown) founded the Chiayi Calligraphy and Painting Research Association (嘉義書畫藝術研究會) at Huhsien Garden (壺仙花果園), and self-appointed himself the president, while inviting Shih to instruct the members. The objective of the association was to encourage the youths in Chiayi to study painting and compete in the Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition). In the Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shinpo (Taiwan Daily News) of 1933, it was written, “Mr. Lai Yu-Ruo from Chiayi…and Shih Yu-Shan founded a calligraphy and painting research association. Its members are mostly selectees in the Taiten…At the 3rd anniversary of the association, the works of the members…are toured to the Siluo Public Hall (西螺公會堂).” Based on this passage, it can be inferred that most of the members in the association had been selected into the Taiten, and the association regularly presented exhibitions. Afterwards, Lai founded the calligraphy and painting research group to teach poetry, calligraphy and Han learning, and invited Shih to teach painting techniques, hoping to cultivate artistic talent excelling at poetry, calligraphy and painting alike. Shih was selected into the Toyoga (Japanese-style painting) Division of the 3rd, 5th, and 6th Taiten. His painting shows the style of the literati painting, characterized by delicate and refined lines. He also joined two other traditional ink painting groups, and continued reinventing the tradition to contribute to the art circle.

References
Lee, Shu-Pei. “A Study of Landscapes of Tainan in the Catalogues of the Taiten and the Futen during the Period of Japanese Rule.” The 2022 NCAF Visual Arts Grant for Study and Research – 2nd Phase, 2023.
Unknown author. “Chiayi/A Touring Exhibition and a Beijing Opera Performance Come to Town.” Taiwan Daily News, morning edition, page 8 (1933.7.6).
Pai, Shih-Ming. Historical Compilation of Artist Groups in Taiwan 1: Artist Groups in Japanese Colonial Period (1895-1945). Taipei City: Artist Publishing, 2019.