Introduction

     Li Mei-shu, a pioneer of Western-style painting in Taiwan, was a native of Sanhsia, a town in Taipei County. As a youth, he was deeply influenced by his father and eldest brother, developing a keen interest in art and music. In 1914, when Taiwan was a colony of Japan, he began to study drawing and ink painting from Tooyama Gan and four years later entered what is now Taipei Teachers' College. In his spare time from classes, Li would practice art by studying books from Japan. After graduating, he spent his summer vacation in an art class given by Ishikawa Kinichiro (1871-1945). Afterwards, his family allowed him to go to Japan for further studies. In 1929, he was admitted to the Western Painting Department at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he learned various styles under Nagahara Kotaro (1864-1930), Yoshimura Yoshimatsu, Kobayashi Mango (1870-1947) Okada Saburosuke (1869-1939). Consequently, Li Mei-shu received a solid training in realistic-style Western painting.

     Li Mei-shu's career spanned three fields of interest--art, education, and local politics. In addition to such works as "Lady at Rest" and "Taroko Gorge", other representative paintings include "Dusk", "On the Balcony," "Sanhsia Scenery", and "Morning Along the River Bank". In 1927, Li's "Still Life" was chosen for the first Taiwan Fine Arts Exposition, and his works were selected every year thereafter. In 1933, "Self-portrait" received Special Prize at the seventh annual exhibit. In 1935, his "Young Lady at Rest" was awarded the Taiwan Governor's Prize. In addition, Li Mei-shu's works were chosen for such important government exhibitions as the Futen in Taiwan and the Shinbunkaten in Japan.

     As an art teacher, Li Mei-shu served as a professor in the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University and as a professor in the graduate school and department of fine arts at Chinese Cultural University. For many years, he also was the Dean of Fine Arts at the Taiwan National Institute of Art, where he founded the Department of Sculpture and served as its dean. With his effort in administration and education as well as his experience in guiding artists, he became a pioneer of modern art in Taiwan. Furthermore, he also served as Chairman of the ROC Oil Painting Association and Chairman of the Chinese Fine Arts Association. Later, in 1978, Li Mei-shu represented the field of fine arts at the National Construction Association, advocating the establishment of a museum for modern art.

     Li Mei-shu was also an active participant in the local affairs of his hometown. As early as 1935, he was elected to the Sanhsia local board, and he later promoted the merger of tea factories there. In 1946, after the restoration of Taiwan to China, he was appointed as Chairman of the Sanhsia Town Assembly. In 1949, the central government moved to Taiwan and, in the following year, Li was elected to the first Taipei County Assembly and was reappointed for two more terms thereafter. In 1947, he was honored as a local elder and appointed Chairman of the Committee for the Reconstruction of the Sanhsia Tsu-shih Temple, which dates back to 1769. This complex project took 36 years and still continues in part. Due to Li's unwavering dedication, the Tsu-shih Temple now stands out for its history and art. Thus, Li Mei-shu's selfless contributions to the field of Taiwan art as well as Sanhsia have been admired by many.

     By Chinese reckoning, this year marks the centennial anniversary of Li Mei-shu's birth. The National Palace Museum in Gallery 104 proudly presents a display of works generously loaned by the Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery in Sanhsia. Focusing on the theme of portraits of the people and places around him, these works spanning the years 1919 to 1980 provide but a small glimpse of his art. Commemorating Li Mei-shu's contributions to Sanhsia and Taiwan as a whole with this exhibit, the Museum hopes that viewers will come to further appreciate his lifetime of achievements.