Preserving the legacy of Chen Cheng-Po 陳澄波: Restoration project of the first Western style painter of Taiwan

Abstract

This project restored 24 paintings of Chen Cheng-Po 陳澄波 (1895–1947), a significant Taiwanese painter in the Western style, across the three periods of the artist’s life. The restoration project employed chemical analysis, X-ray imaging, ultraviolet and infrared light examination to develop a deeper understanding of the artist’s technique. The conservation project examined how the artist used the canvas, the history of the canvases themselves and how the artist’s family protected the paintings from the then dictatorship to avoid their destruction. At the same time, we have also discovered how the artist transported canvases between outdoor locations where he painted and his studio. The technical conservation research carried out has provided us with a better understanding of Chen Cheng-Po’s technique in creating his paintings.