Description/
Chen Cheng-po splits this composition with the shrubbery by the pond in the middle ground. The pond and emerald trees form the foreground, while the rows of temple and houses form the middle ground. A visual contrast of solid and void is created by juxtaposing the pellucid water reflecting the trees with the congested array of buildings by the pond. The curvy shore and vertical tree lines bring variation to the otherwise regular composition and draw the viewer's eyes from the foreground into the picture to follow the meandering shoreline. Temples are a recurring theme in Chen's works, including Wu Feng Temple (1925), Temple of Wenling Sea Goddess (Matsu) (1927), In Front of the Temple (1936) and Ancient Temple (1938). Besides being the religious center of the common people, another reason for his fondness of this subject may be their charming architectural forms. In Waterside, he takes a lateral viewpoint at eyelevel instead of a frontal view to also capture buildings along the shore. He skillfully blends the Qing-dynasty Nanyao Temple with houses depicted in similar tones and punctuates the temple architecture with its gables, tiered roofs, swallow-tail ridges and ridge ornaments.
Bibliography/
- Qianlang Li, Introduction to Traditional Architecture in Taiwan (Taipei City: Yuan-Liou Publishing, 2003).
- Hsiuhsiung Wang, Chang Jung Girls School Campus by Chen Cheng-Po (Taipei City : Artist Publishing, 2012), 52.
Waterside
1939
Materials & Techniques：Oil on canvas
Dimension：72x91 cm
Private Collection
Location:Zhanghua Nanyao Temple (now at No. 43 Nanyao Rd., Zhanghua City, Zhanghua County, Taiwan)
