This is a life-size portrait. The figure on the canvas is as big as the model herself, and the background is the mountains of Formosa. There is a strand of faded blond hair on the figure’s crown, fluttering in the wind. It was cut from the head of a Dutch soldier who was defeated in a battle here in southern Formosa some 400 years ago, and became a decoration for Formosan aborigines. This painting depicts the mountain breeze and human movements. If you stand in front of the painting or walk around and look at the figure in the painting, you will not only have the feeling of being there in person, but you will also mistakenly think that the beauty in the painting is constantly looking at you.
By the way, Formosa is Taiwan’s original name since the 16th century.