The Taichung-based National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and Chunghwa Post co-issued a new set of postage stamps that are printed with modern Taiwanese art from prominent painters on June 21.
The "Modern Taiwanese Paintings Postage Stamps (Issue of 2019)" features "Ferry of the Egret (白鷺涉河塘)" by Chen Yung-sen (陳永森), "Studio (畫室)" by Hsiao Ju-sung (蕭如松), "Festival on South Street (南街殷賑)" by Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), and "Guitar (吉他)" by Chang Yi-hsiung (張義雄). "Ferry of the Egret" and "Studio" are preserved by the NTMOFA while "Festival on South Street" and "Guitar" are from the Taipei Fine Arts Museum's collection.
The paintings were completed by venerated Taiwanese painters with incredible skills. For instance, "Ferry of the Egret" by Chen (1913-1997) features the "mogu (沒骨)" technique, which means "boneless" in Mandarin, in which the egret and lotuses are formed with ink and color instead of using a simpler outline. Semi-abstract, curvaceous lines are then used to reveal the green leaves and stems.
As for "Studio," Hsiao (1922-1992) drew lines and blocks to depict the tranquil space of an ordered studio while finishing a vase of flowers and curtains on the same canvas with short, light brushstrokes.
Like the stamp set released by the two organizations last year, this latest issue aims to make important art collections a part of the daily lives of Taiwan citizens and help people learn more about Taiwan's modern history through practical stamps that carry remarkable paintings and pictures.
The 2018 set was emblazoned with four modern Taiwanese paintings: "Red Sunset (暮紅)" by Lin Chih-chu (林之助), "By the Window (窗邊)" by Liao Te-cheng (廖德政), "Day and Night #10 (日與夜#10)" by Chen Ting-shih (陳庭詩), and "Work No. 057 (作品057)" by Lee Chun-shan (李仲生). They were all collected by the NTMOFA.
A special set of architectural postcards that are printed with pictures of the Taichung-based fine arts museum is also available as well, with each package containing six cards that reveal both the prominent and hidden beauty of the whole NTMOFA site from different angles and perspectives.
To provide the general public with convenient access, Chunghwa Post set up a temporary post office at the NTMOFA last year. This year, to promote the 2019 postage and postcard sets, two post offices respectively on Yingcai Road and Minquan Road in Taichung City will also offer special rubber stamps engraved with beautiful scenes from the museum for users to mark their collections.
Unveiled in 1988, the museum is celebrating its 31st anniversary this year by launching a large-scale infrastructure project in the second half of 2019 to upgrade its facilities and services as part of its plan to become a world-class museum.
In recent years, the NTMOFA has been working hard on digitizing its collections for preservation, display, and revitalization, including the promotion of derived merchandise that can bring culture and aesthetics into daily life.
Information on the postage stamps and the postcards is available on www.post.gov.tw.