Stories Behind the Art (English)

大家好
Hello.
今天為大家介紹李梅樹創作於約1937年〈戲弄火雞的小孩〉
Today we’re looking at Li Mei-shu’s work “The Boy Chasing the Turkeys,” created in around 1937.
這張作品目前是李梅樹紀念館所典藏李梅樹油畫作品當中
At present, of Li Mei-shu’s oil paintings in our collection at the Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery,

尺寸最大的一件作品
this one is the largest.

它的尺寸是227 x 182公分
Its dimensions are 227cm by 182 cm

也就是150號的作品
and it is work number 150.

這件作品左邊的小男孩是以李梅樹的長子
The model for the boy on the left of the painting was Li Mei-shu’s elder son,
李景暘先生為模特兒
Li Ching-yang.
右下角小女孩的模特兒是李梅樹的二女兒李麗月
The model for the girl in the lower right corner was Li’s second daughter Li Li-yueh.
當然
Of course,
最主要的主角人物
the main personage
就是站在畫面中間的媽媽
is the mother standing in the center of the painting,
就是以李梅樹夫人當作模特兒
the model for whom was Li Mei-shu’s wife.
這個〈戲弄火雞的小孩〉內容非常的逗趣
The subject of “The Boy Chasing the Turkeys” is humorous.
這是一幅親子圖
It’s a parent-child scene.

差不多五、六年級生以上的都有這種鄉下的回憶跟經驗
More or less any child above fifth or sixth grade has this kind of memory or experience from the countryside.

看到火雞來
Seeing the turkeys

咕嚕咕嚕的就會想要去逗弄牠
clucking away, and wanting to tease them.

媽媽親切又慈祥的呵護著
The mother, kindly, showing concern,


就連一旁的姐姐都是一副那種很悠哉的模樣
the elder sister sitting leisurely to the side

跟弟弟非常逗趣的戲弄火雞的動作
as the little brother is teasing the turkeys

剛好成一個對比
produces a contrast.

媽媽拿著籃子好像要餵食火雞
The mother with the basket seems to want to feed the turkeys

或者做關照小孩的這一個動作
or makes a motion to take care of the child,


感覺非常的生動
the feeling is very vivid.

整張的畫法
The style of the painting
比較偏向於後期印象派高更(Paul Gauguin，1848~1903)
is a bit like the post-impressionist Paul Gauguin,

比較強調力量
emphasizing boldness,

比較強調塊面的色彩表現
an emphasis on expression with blocks of color.

特別來介紹一下
We’ll take a moment to focus on

就是媽媽右腳表現的手法
the technique of how the mother’s right foot is painted.

在紀念館導覽的時候
When we give tours of the gallery,

很多觀眾怎麼走到右邊、走到中間、走到左邊
many visitors say, how is it that if we go to the right, to the middle, or to the left,

這個腳尖都會跟著我們走
the point of the foot always seems to follow us.

包括小男孩的左手
Likewise the boy’s left hand

這種感覺也是一樣哦
has the same feeling about it.

我們今天就為各位來揭開這樣的一個秘密
Today we’ll reveal this secret to everybody.

這個跟月亮跟著我們跑的道理差不多
It’s similar to how moonlight seems to follow us on the road.

月亮離我們很遠
The moonlight is very far from us,

但是我們跑到哪裡
but wherever we go

好像月亮就一直跟著跑
it seems like the moonlight goes with us.

〈戲弄火雞的小孩〉圖中的媽媽
For the mother in “The Boy Chasing the Turkeys,”

右腳的腳尖直直的對著我們欣賞畫的人
her right foot points directly to the person viewing the painting.

這樣的一個作品在美術的技巧上面
This kind of effect is produced by an artistic technique

叫做“前縮透視法” （foreshortening）
called “foreshortening.”

所謂“前縮”是指所描繪的對象、或是作者、或者欣賞者的眼睛
This foreshortening means the object, or the viewer’s eyes
正對著的前方或者是微側方
are directly in front or slightly to the side.

因為描繪的
In the painting

各位可以注意看媽媽右腳及小孩左手的地方
everyone can see where the mother’s right foot and the child’s left hand

描繪的部份會壓縮在比較短的視覺深度的空間
are shown compressed in a short visual depth.

所以表現出來的
So what is depicted

自然就會有這種移動當中
naturally will have this movement.

有這種2D的畫面變成3D的動態
This kind of 2D painting takes on a 3D dynamic.

這個是在構圖上比較特別的
This is something very special in the composition.

另外跟各位介紹
We can also point out

李梅樹這張作品的兩大特色
two major characteristics of this Li Mei-shu work.

一、剛才有說過了
One, as we have said,

這比較傾向於後期印象派比較強調面性的繪畫方式
it tends towards the post-impressionist style emphasizing facets,
呈現出來比較有力量的感覺
producing a relatively bold feel,

包括人物、左邊的樹木、遠景的遠山
including the persons, the trees on the left, the far scenery and the mountains.

第二個呈現出來的就是
The second thing to bring out is

整個構圖的氛圍比較有變化
the whole composition’s atmosphere displays variety.

連左邊的火雞的構圖也是有一些變化
Even the turkeys on the left have variety,

增加了畫面的生動性
adding to the vividness of the scene.

因此
Because of this,

〈戲弄火雞的小孩〉可以說是
we can say “The Boy Chasing the Turkeys”

李梅樹在日治時代所留下來的一張非常精采的親子圖
is an excellent parent-child scene by Li Mei-shu from the Japanese colonial era.

Lu Tieh-chou was born in 1899 in the Daxi district of Taoyuan city. After graduating from Daxi Public School in 1913, he went on to enroll at the Taiwan Governor General Office Industrial Institute but took a leave of absence after two years. In 1920, he served as a member of the council in charge of Daxi Street affairs. In 1923, Lu moved to Dadaocheng and opened an embroidery shop. He went to Kyoto, Japan in 1928 to further his artistic studies before returning to Taiwan two years later. Lu died in 1942.