台灣新意象水彩──吳承硯英式水彩

New Impression of Watercolor in Taiwan-British influenced watercolor of Wu Chen-yen

傳統水墨畫淵遠流長，無論是山水、花鳥畜獸……人文底蘊豐富。十七世紀意大利傳教士郎世寧，帶來了水彩和西畫技法，十八世紀中期，南方也有一批商業的畫師，運用西畫技法，繪制中國的水彩作品以供出口，當時的貿易畫稱為「通草水彩」；直到十九世紀｢水彩畫」融合中西，廣泛使用透視、明暗技法，成為畫史最具優良悠久技法。石川欽一郎是台灣近代美術教育啟蒙者，1907－1932年在台任教期間，不僅讓台灣學生得以接觸西方美術，也積極推廣水彩畫，出版水彩畫法等刊物。培育出第一代水彩畫家。1949年民國政府播遷來台，當時大陸渡海來台藝術家如馬白水、李焜培、劉其偉與吳承硯…相互輝映，他們先後在文化大學與師大美術系任教，為台灣培育藝術菁英學子，讓台灣本土藝術與大陸書畫藝術往來，是台灣水彩藝術史的黃金時期。吳承硯（1921~1999）生於江蘇省江陰縣，早於1943以水彩作品「靜物」取得第三屆中國美展入選，正式進入國立南京中央大學美術系接受徐悲鴻指導，中央大學美術系時期，吳承硯承襲徐悲鴻”中畫為體、西畫為用”理念，將水墨與西畫融合，暢快淋漓表現水彩。之後又跟隨留學英、法李劍晨學習水彩創新，李劍晨不僅提供大量英、法等海外畫冊資訊，也經常與吳承硯討論研究，如何將西方寫實透視，與水墨渲染融合無間，展現天光水影、物我合一…的水彩創新風格。1949年吳承硯隨舅父到臺灣，於台南鹽水中學教授美術，之後1963起於中國文化大學美術系執教38年後退休。與其欣賞他的藝術作品，更重要的是他在美術教育史上的意義。吳承硯帶領學生，遊走台灣鄉土田野，揮灑水彩畫筆，不只記錄台灣早期文化傳承，也精準掌握西方繪畫技巧；「光」取自物象，「情」則來自於台灣風土民情，吳承硯表現特殊的台灣新意象水彩，成就台灣藝術教育史上重要的扉頁。

Traditional Chinese ink painting dates back many centuries, whether it is the landscape or flower and fauna are all with cultural heritage abound. In 17th century, Giuseppe Castiglione, a Jesuit priest from Italy, brought watercolor and western techniques to China. During mid eighteenth century, a group of painters in Southern China produced westernized paintings for exports. That was called 'Rice paper plant watercolor'. Not until the nineteenth century, watercolor combining east and west, incorporated extensively the perspective and light and dark which became the preferred long lasting technique in art history. Ishikawa Kinichiro The torchbearer of art education from 1907 to 1932 in Taiwan. He introduced western art, especially with emphasis on watercolor. Brought forth the first generation of watercolor artists. In 1949, the government of the Republic of China moved to Taiwan. Came with them, a group of artists, including Ma Beisui, Lee Kunpei, Max Liu, Wu Chenyen and others. They taught in schools, such as National Normal University and Chinese Culture University. Many excellent artists were produced. It has been a golden age for watercolor in Taiwan due to the exchange between the two sides of the Strait. Wu Chenyen (1921-1999) was born in Jiangsu Province in China. In1943, his painting titled 'Still life' were chosen by the Third Chinese Art Exhibition. He entered Central University and studied under Xu Beihong. He inherited Xu's mixing of Chinese ink painting with western technique, as well as from Lee Jianchen who studied watercolor in England and France, which inspired Wu to create his own watercolor styles. In 1949, Wu followed his relatives to Taiwan and taught high school in Yensui. In 1963, he was recruited by Chinese Culture University to teach in the Fine Art Department until his retirement in 1991. We are not just benefited by his paintings. He also contributed to the education of thousands of students at the university in studio and outdoor classes. He combined 'light' and 'essence' and incorporated local culture and customs, which created the unique new impression to watercolor in Taiwan.