Vietnamese culture : Contemporary art - Pre 1945
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Viettouch
Minh Bui & Chi D. Nguyen
20/30/40's
For a nation with an history that goes back thousands of
years, Vietnamese contemporary art is relatively young. It
began a mere 75 years ago with a group of artists who were
trained at the Indochina School of Fine Arts (Ecole des Baux
Arts de l'Indochine) of Ha Noi. With their acquired training
from French instructors, the artists of this inceptive
period re-discovered the beauty of the native landscape saw
through a Western lens. They romanticized life and the
people and painted these subjects in an ambiance of
innocence and dream. Many well known works from this period
show a strong influence of the Impressionism and Realism
school of Europe and are highly admired and sought for by
art collectors.
In 1891, Le Van Mien (1873-1943), a young Vietnamese
Confucian scholar, was considered as the gifted at the Ecole
Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris. "Binh Van"
(Reciting Poem), was one of the first important oil painting
created according to the neoclassical painting method of the
French Painting School at the end of 19th century.
Indochina School of Fine Arts (Truong My Thuat Dong Duong)
The Indochina School of Fine Arts was more than being the
first institution provided art training to artists and
artisans in Viet Nam. The school trained the first
generation of artist that later established the modern era
of Vietnamese art. During its 20 years of existence, the
Indochina School of Fine Arts graduated a total of 128
artists in various disciplines. Many of these graduates were
prolific painters and premiere artists of their time such as
Bui Xuan Phai, Le Pho, Mai Trung Thu, Nguyen Gia Tri, Nguyen
Phan Chanh, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Sang, To Ngoc Van, and
Tran Van Can. Their work impressed many critics who praised
the artists as the "Paris School of Viet Nam". Victor
Tardieu, a French painter and accomplished teacher founded
the Indochina School of Fine Arts in 1925. Its mission was
to train Vietnamese artists to apply western techniques to
their traditional art. At its opening in 1925, the school
had only two faculties, painting and sculpting. Later the
school added other faculties such as architecture (1926),
lacquer (1930), jewelry craft (1933), ceramics (1934) and
woodworking (1938). In the early 30's, the school introduced
Vietnamese modern painting to the western world through many
international fairs and exhibitions such as Rome (1932),
Milan (1934), Bruxelles (1935) and San Francisco (1937). The
Indochina School of Fine Arts closed its doors in 1945 when
Viet Nam gained independence from France. The school
reopened in 1946 as the Hanoi College of Fine Arts as it
exists to the present days.
Nguyen Phan Chanh (1892-1984), was determined to find a way
to improve the tradition method of Chinese silk painting.
His technique on silk with half tones and subdued contours,
creating an atmosphere of serenity and mystique, and
maintaining the typically pure Vietnamese inner emotion. The
warm dark browns, the main colour of the dress of the
peasant of North Viet Nam, wrapping in soft contours,
emanating the innocence of the simple minded soul of the
rustic folks. To Ngoc Van's (1906-1954) "Trua He" (An
Afternoon in Summer, 1943), "Thieu Nu va Hoa Sen" (Lady and
the Lotus Flowers, 1943), "Thieu Nu va Hoa Hue" (Lady and
the Lilies, 1943, Oil) are recognized as the greatest of
Vietnamese modern paintings. His paintings are marked by
lively colours, voluminous figures, and skillfully and
artistically depict human beings which daring and delicate,
modern and at the same time traditionally Vietnamese.
Mai Trung Thu's (1906-1980) subjects were women, children
and daily life under Vietnamese conceptions. His silk
paintings show a strong influence of Oriental styling and
folk art. Le Van De (1906-1966): Graduate of the first
entering class of the Indochina School of Fine Arts and
later had additional training in Paris. His silk paintings
were well known abroad.. He was the director of Gia Dinh
School of Fine Arts in the South during the 50 and 60's.
Nguyen Gia Tri (1908-1993) is a distinguished master in
lacquer painting with an elegant style and his unique ideas
about the mysterious, metaphysical nature of this material.
Tran Van Can (1910-1994) engaged in social affairs and art
training. A virtuoso in oil, lacquer, and silk painting with
realistic, lyrical style.
Le Thi Luu (1911-1988) perfected dedicate style in classical
technique. Women and children were subjects on her silk
paintings.
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