Ran In-ting (藍蔭鼎), also known as Lan Ying-ding, is a renowned Taiwanese watercolor artist. Born in 1903 in a farming village of Yilan during the period of Japanese rule, Ran showed his extraordinary talent in arts since childhood. Ran later became Kinichiro Ishikawa’s protégé and studied painting under the tutelage of his mentor. He went to Japan twice to hone his watercolor skills and participated in several international art exhibitions.
Deeply influenced by his mentor Ishikawa, Ran, who excelled at watercolor painting, integrated sketching skills into Chinese ink wash painting. Focusing his subject matter on the idyllic landscapes and serene country life, Ran depicted the rural countryside of Taiwan with arts of Romanticism and Impressionism from the West.
Ran was best known for his depiction of pastoral atmosphere and rural scenery in Taiwan, especially in his hometown Yilan. Through his brushes, familiar images including temple festivals, dragon dances, crowded markets, rain scenes, duck-raising families, autumn harvest, ferries at dusk, and washing clothes on the river bank were brought out on the canvas.
Read more about the artist here or view a sample of his works on the website of National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.