'Raining in Formosa on the Tamsui River' by Ran In-Ting (Lan Yinding, 藍蔭鼎) (1956-59)

'Raining in Formosa on the Tamsui River' by Taiwanese artist, Ran In-Ting (Lan Yinding, 藍蔭鼎) (1956-59). Although elements of landscapes often appear in paintings produced by various cultures, before the 17th century in the West they were only peripheral. In 5th century China, shan shui or landscape painting developed, expressing harmony and natural beauty. These were among the first paintings to make landscape their subject (ref: 'The Short Story of Art' by Susie Hodge, 2017). In that tradition the artist painted this delicate monochrome watercolour directly for the British Naval Attaché in Formosa (Taiwan) from 1956-1959 and friend of the artist. It was subsequently left to his family. The provenance is therefore impeccable. The work is inscribed 'Ran In-Ting / Formosa' (lower left) and also signed in Chinese with the artist's seal. It has been newly framed with a French-style linen slip and glazed with museum glass which is anti-UV and non-reflective in order to preserve the work for decades to come. Upon request a video of the piece may be provided. The artist's works frequently sell for tens of thousands of US dollars at international auctions. This particular work is both an investment and a beautiful work of art. 

About the Artist: Ran In-Ting (Lan Yinding, 藍蔭鼎) (1903 – 1979) was born in Ratō, Giran-chō, Japanese-ruled Taiwan in North-Eastern Taiwan. He is said to have painted his first picture at the age of 13, a mural on a temple wall in his home village of a dragon wreathed by cloud. His father, a scholar of Qing, China, is said to have taught Ran Chinese ink painting as a child. He was able to study art at secondary school, and became an art teacher at Ratō Public School at the age of 17. Japanese watercolour artist, Kinichiro Ishikawa, spent almost 18 years working and teaching art in Taiwan. In 1924, Ishikawa spotted Ran's watercolours at a school inspection, and was very taken with them. Ran then studied watercolour painting under Ishikawa's tutelage. Ishikawa had studied in England, and taught his students to paint in watercolours in the Western style, which was seen as very important in Japan at that time. Ran's work has been exhibited throughout the world, and his paintings are in the collections of the major museums of the world including the Prado in Madrid and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He was  commissioned to paint works in the US and was a member of the major watercolour art societies in the UK, France and Italy. In 1959 he received the National Art Prize from the Republic of China, and in 1969 received an honorary degree from the College of Chinese Culture Taipei. In 1991 the National Palace Museum in Taipei staged a major exhibition of Ran's watercolours, and in 1998 the National Museum of History held a retrospective exhibition of Ran In-ting's work (ref: Wikipedia). 

Dimensions with Frame:

H 32 cm / 12.6"

W 41.5 cm / 16.3"

Dimensions without Frame:

H 18.5 cm / 7.3"

W 28 cm / 11"