A while ago, I went to the Beauty Forever Living Art Center to appreciate a famous Taiwanese artist Yang San-lang's and his wife's paintings. It's interesting to see their paintings. Their paintings were put on the wall together, so you could compare the difference between Yang San-lang's style and his wife's style.

前一陣子，我跑去美麗永安生活館欣賞台灣名畫家楊三郎跟他的妻子楊許玉燕的畫作。我從來都不知道原來楊三郎的妻子本身也是畫家耶。(可見偉人背後總有一個更偉大的女人支持著他，且這位偉大的人物總是不求分文。) 畫家伉儷的作品，相似度高不高呢? 去看就可見真章。而這回很幸運的，我們看到這對夫妻的畫作，可以馬上做比較。

In general, Yang San-lang's style reflects more reality than his wife's does. What I mean is that, his wife liked to add a bit romantic elements in her paintings. For instance, you could easily see flowers in her paintings.

普遍來說，楊三郎的畫比較忠於真實景色，而他的妻子楊許玉燕的畫作則是充滿浪漫的元素。他們倆總是去同樣的地方畫畫，可是有趣的事情是，楊許玉燕的畫作裡頭，總是有些花草，增添一些活潑色彩。

 

In one painting, they both drew Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. You can see that in Yang San-lang's painting, there is a person on the right side and another on the left side. However, in Yang Hsu Yu Yuen's painting, you see that a couple was walking in the middle of road. You can't see anyone else, like no matter now loud the entire town is, you can only hear what your beloved one talking. Way too romantic.

就舉其中一幅畫「聖心堂」，在楊三郎的畫裡面，你可以看到街道兩旁各站著一個人，可是在楊許玉燕的畫作裡，可以看到整個街道上，就只有兩個人肩並肩走在一起，楊許玉燕的畫讓我感覺，好像整個城市再怎麼吵鬧，你只能聽得到另一半的聲音。實在是浪漫至極。

 

About their love story: both Yang San Lang and his wife Yang Hsu Yu Yuen were from wealthy families. They met each other through an arranged marriage. Before they met each other, Yang Hsu Yu Yuen took violin lessons and oil painting lessons. She fell in love with western art instantly. The funny thing is, after Yang San Lang and Yang Hsu Yu Yuen got married, a traditional man like Yang San Lang didn't want his wife to spend too much time on painting. So, Yang Hsu Yu Yuen could only do the painting while her husband wasn't at home. She asked her then 3-year-old son to check out the window. If her husband was returning, her son would tell her. She would immediately tidy up her stuff. Haha. So, it's amusing that the happiest moment in Yang Hsu Yu Yuen's life was during the 3 years her husband was studying oil painting in France... Yang Hsu Yu Yuen could draw anytime she wanted to.

在這次的展覽中，我也看到楊三郎跟他的妻子相識的過程。兩人都是來自富裕的家庭。兩人都很年輕的時候都赴日留學。楊許玉燕還是青少女的時候，就學了小提琴跟西洋畫。她就是這樣深深被西方藝術打動。後來他們倆藉由媒妁之約而結婚。有趣的是，楊三郎雖然是位鼎鼎大名的畫家，他卻非常傳統，不希望他妻子拾起畫筆。他希望他的妻子就是傳統婦女，相夫教子。所以平日她先生外出工作，她就在家裡偷偷作畫，然後當時3歲的兒子幫她把關。因此，楊許玉燕最快樂的那些日子，其實就是她先生留學法國三年那段期間，她可以每天縱情作畫，完全不被干擾。好有意思，這就好像就算結了婚，夫妻之間仍是需要一點個人空間，保持自由。

 

However, if you watch a video clip called "Artists' Love Story", you can see that Yang San Lang's grandson Christopher tells a different story from what I learned from this exhibition. I don't know which version is more true, but Christopher Yang made some points in his video clip. For example, he said that only when he got married, he realised how important to have a spouse to support you and share ups and downs in your life with.

I especially like what's written on the blog of the Beauty Forever Living Art Center. It says, "The exhibition shows you work the couple made after 1979. Yang San Lang became deaf then, but he and his wife still travelled to Europe, the USA and Japan to paint more work." The writer continued, "That makes me wonder Yang San Lang was thinking. When the entire world was quiet, his spouse was still there with him.  They watched the view, hand in hand, in the world of art." Sorry I can't do a better translation. The Chinese part is beautifully written, though.

這次展覽，我非常喜歡黃蘭燕在美麗永安部落格所撰寫的一篇文章「在藝術裡牽手—記『藝侶浮光—楊三郎與楊許玉燕紀念展』二、三事」，其中有一段文字，我非常喜歡。: 「此次展出許多1979年之後的作品，為楊三郎70歲時失聰後所創作，兩人仍時常至歐洲美國日本等地寫生，這又讓我們想像楊三郎先生的心境，當全世界都靜默下來，身邊的伴侶一直都在。他們在藝術的世界裡執子之手，共看一片人生風景。」

Although the exhibition at the Beauty Forever Living Art Center was over, you can still pop in Yang San Lang Art Museum to enjoy the great artists' paintings.

雖然這展覽早已經結束，但是楊三郎美術館仍等待你去探索。

 

If you're interested, you can watch this video clip about Yang Sanlang and his wife:
Artists' Love Story (no subtitles)
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151236489959902

 

美麗永安生活館
Beauty Forever Living Art Center
http://yonganbeautyforever.blogspot.tw/

地址:新北市中和區中和路390號2樓
交通:捷運 永安市場站2樓
開放時間:
週一～週五 09:00-17:00
週六、週日 ０９：００－１８：００
每月第一個週一休館