Ran In-Ting, one of Taiwan's most famous artists, was born in Luodong town of Yilan County, Formosa (present-day Taiwan). The abundance of tranquil landscapes against the ancient architecture of his native island, and the bustling city of Taipei, provided an endless source of inspiration for his paintings.

His interest in painting was piqued at a young age when he first learned ink painting from his father in their hometown. After teaching art in 1921 for several years, Ran studied painting under the prominent Japanese watercolour painter Ishikawa Kinichiro. He attended the Tokyo Academy of Fine Arts and travelled extensively in Europe and America, where his works were exhibited.

With his deep understanding of Chinese brushw...