Taiwan Paintings FDC

Taiwan FDC
Name: Modern Taiwanese Paintings (Issue of 2009)
Date of Issue: 07 August 2009
Number: Sp.534

To introduce the achievements of Taiwanese painters to the general public, Chunghwa Post has issued a series of stamps featuring modern Taiwanese paintings. Earlier sets were released on December 6, 2002, November 20, 2003, and March 25, 2004. Following these sets, Chunghwa Post will release another two stamps from the collection of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, featuring Taiwanese painter Lin Yu-shan's On the Way Home and Two Heads of Cattle.

Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) (1907-2004), who was originally named Lin Ying-kuei. In 1927, Lin became famous overnight when his work Water Buffalo was selected for the first Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition). Apart from his depictions of animals such as birds, tigers and cattle, Lin was best known for his landscapes, which he created with a supple use of brushstrokes. On the Way Home and Two Heads of Cattle are two of his most important works.

Denominations:
NT$5.00: On the Way Home (歸途)
A peasant woman walks slowly home with a water buffalo that is carrying a bundle of sugar cane on its back in twilight time. The natural and vivid composition is earnest and moving.

NT$25.00: Two Heads of Cattle (雙牛圖)
The painting portrays two vigorous oxen beside some cactus plants. The composition is bold, simple and powerful.

In celebration of the Philately Day on August 9 and to add interest in philately, the stamps will be printed as a gutter pair. The gutter will bear the Chinese characters for “2009 Philately Day” and a design of a collector pouring over stamps with a magnifier.

Comment: The original issue date of this set is 7th August, because of the Typhoon Morakot was closing in on Taiwan. All government offices and schools as well as the financial market in Taiwan (except Kinmen County) were closed on 7th August. In this case, Chunghwa Post allowed to post this set on next working day (7th Aug. is Friday, 8th and 9th are rest day, so 10th Aug is next working day). That's why you can see an additional seal (颱風郵路阻斷次日處理) on this FDC.