Since the Renaissance, Western classical art has consistently occupied the creative spirit inherent in Western civilization. They used precise proportions and order to rationally observe and explore the natural world, and to narratively depict and record human history. However, in modern times, classical art has lost its importance to most people; art has become increasingly personalized, and narratives have become fragmented. Is this the beginning of the decline of Western civilization? Aristotle once said, "A nation that cannot tell its own story cannot define its own existence, nor can it pass on its core values." The vitality of a civilization often depends on how it interprets its past.

A trend against Western civilization is advancing. The rational, orderly, and free Western civilization nurtured by the Renaissance is being challenged and abandoned. This trend is not a sudden occurrence; it has been brewing for a long time.

The breaking point that reveals the truth behind the decline of Western civilization should be the controversial speech delivered by US Vice President JD Vance at the 61st Munich Security Conference in February 2025, in which he harshly criticized the EU for its regression in freedom of speech and democracy. In essence, this was a critique of ideology and culture; isn't the same happening within the US? It's just that Europe, the cradle of Western civilization, is now abandoning its own civilizational narrative. How can the US, as an ally, continue to work with them?

In his nearly 90-minute speech in Davos this January, President Trump made a statement that further prompts reflection on why Western civilization has declined. He essentially said: "The West's prosperous and brilliant culture stems from Greece and Rome, the Renaissance, and the uniqueness of Western civilization, not from high welfare, high taxes, and boundless tolerance of foreign cultures, nor from a lack of recognition of the extraordinary culture, history, and beliefs that the West once created..." He bluntly stated that when you deny your own culture and religious beliefs, and are ashamed of the West's past history, then you can expect your demise!

This echoes the observation made by British author Douglas Murray in *The Strange Death of Europe*, that European civilization is in a state of "suicide." This suicide manifests as an extreme lack of confidence in its own traditions, beliefs, and historical values. How can one tell stories when one is in a state of narrative incapacity? Great Britain was once such a kingdom adept at storytelling!

This is probably the most insightful and moving speech I've ever heard Trump give.

Through filming *Local Faces - Coal Village Stories*, I gradually came to know Taiwan and discovered its rich local stories. This is the place that nurtured me, yet I know so little about it. Looking back, 36 years later, I've had the opportunity to meet the painter Lin Chung-hsin, and I'm deeply impressed by his astonishing storytelling ability.

Lin Chung-hsin recounts Taiwan during the Age of Exploration with remarkable familiarity: how Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) stormed Luermen, captured Fort Zeelandia, and drove out the Dutch… His narrative stretches from the 17th century to the Japanese occupation and the Nationalist government era. He is a painter with an intimate knowledge of his homeland's history, brimming with emotion! Particularly interesting is his ability to depict the Dutch (galleries) and Koxinga's Chinese junks, meticulously portraying the interior architecture of Fort Zeelandia—a Renaissance-style castle, the daily routines of Dutch women and children, troop movements, and stories from the war: the pastor's beautiful daughter who sacrificed herself to become a concubine to save her father, the resourceful strategist Chen Yung-hua, and the valiant general Chen Ze.

These details and historical figures are all presented in his Fort Zeelandia oil painting series. He uses oil paint and canvas to narrate his vision of history and classical forms—a feat unmatched by film or television. When my gaze met these paintings, the Fort Zeelandia, the Dutch steadfastness, Zheng Chenggong's determination, and the brutality of war vividly emerged, so real, almost tangible.

This narrative power in painting must be underpinned by a powerful motivation, closely linked to the land where he grew up. He said that if you ask anyone near Luermen in Tainan, they can tell you the story of Koxinga and the history of the Southern Ming Dynasty, though everyone's version might differ. He grew up in such an environment. After traveling extensively in his youth, he ultimately decided to return to his hometown, building his own studio and art gallery on his native land, to narrate the stories hidden in his memory, painting them one by one, depicting the events of the 17th century as he imagined them. Regardless of how much these paintings deviate from historical fact, with his passion for sharing this history and his skillful brushstrokes, the narrative and the story remain. I felt that the charm of narrative painting has never faded.

Lin Chung-hsin said, "Taiwan's art history spans only about a hundred years. Therefore, the transition from naturalism to classicism has become the most definite and solid part of this island's artistic development. We are searching for that forgotten period four hundred years ago—the Age of Exploration in Taiwan. Our choice to express it in a form closer to classicism and naturalism actually fills a gap in Taiwan's early cultural development in the realm of visual arts. The painter believes this is extremely important for Taiwanese art." I think it's equally important for the Taiwanese people.

Reflecting on the Western world we live in today evokes a complex mix of emotions.

2/1/2026 WJC