Mosque in Kuala Lumpur by Georgette Chen.  Year: 1957.  Medium: Oil on canvas.   Size: 73 x 92 cm.

"Mosque in Kuala Lumpur sums up Georgette Chen's later achievements in pictorial composition, colour rendition and formal organisation. Painted in 1957, Mosque in Kuala Lumpur is conceived as a landscape with no particular focus, yet it is thoroughly balanced and harmonious. The sky is azure blue, clear and crisp, and the two tall coconut trees elegantly flank and frame the painting. The palpable sense of spatial depth is reflected in the detail of the Moorish-inspired facade and the graceful lemon-yellow dome in the middle and the tall and slender minaret in the background. The assimilation of such composite elements can only be achieved through Chen's mastery of fine draughtmanship and excellent use of perspective. The gently swaying palms both in the foreground and those tucked behind the mosque convey a sense of rhythm to this richly-organised painting."

-- Channels & Confluences, ch. 14

References

Kwok Kian Chow. Channels & Confluences: A History of Singapore Art. Singapore: National Heritage Board/Singapore Art Museum, 1996. Plate 44.

This document is part of a joint project of the Singapore Art Museum and the Honours Core Curriculum, National University of Singapore. This image and accompanying text appears here with the kind permission of the Singapore Art Museum.

Last updated: April 2000