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Maison des Beaux Arts de LIndochine
Description
- Maison des Beaux Arts de L’Indochine
- View of a Landscape of the Middle Region of North Vietnam
- Engraved with the MBAI seal on the reverse
- Lacquer on wood
- 76 by 103.5 cm.; 29 3/4 by 40 3/4 in.
- Executed CIRCA 1939 - 1940
Provenance
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The present work View of a Landscape of the Middle Region of North Vietnam was created during this period, and perfectly exemplifies the favored aesthetics and themes that would come to define modern Phu Tho lacquer paintings. The current work is a depiction of a local junk boat upon a river in the midlands of North Vietnam, complimented by the nearby fishing village, the lush tropical foliage and the mountains in the distance. The presence of the women amidst the palm trees further enhances the gentle quietude of the landscape.
Though the boat may be the focal point of the composition, the local vegetation of the bamboo and banana trees, the young maidens conversing with each other, the houses upon the water, as well as the presence of the far off mountains, provide the audience with many vignettes to which they can draw their attention too. The work is an aesthetical expression of the highest means: “Dark color as dark as shadows at night... brilliancy as that of a yellow leaf under the sun... and gold that seems to fly up to give the picture balance and unity— one has the feeling of touching velvet, satin, porcelain and precious stones…”1.
View of a Landscape of the Middle Region of North Vietnam is a special piece for it was a collaborative effort of artist-students from Maison des Beaux Arts de L'Indochine (MBAI). Much of Vietnamese lacquer works were independent projects, however a few pieces were created by a group of artisans that applied their skills and finesse to one work of art. The present piece was created under the guidance of Vietnamese painters Pham Hau and Nguyen Gia Tri. The two individuals were important in the modernization of lacquer as an art form, paving the way for future Vietnamese artists who chose to experiment with the material. The signature “MBAI” further signifies that the present piece was a collective work, thought out and produced by the students from that school.
While respected as a national craft that was inherently seen as Vietnamese, lacquer painting did not undergo a transformation until the influence of French artists Joseph Inguimberty and Victor Tardieu. Also teachers at Maison des Beaux Arts de L'Indochinee, the two men encouraged Vietnamese artists to explore the material, and challenge existing themes and styles that were the foundations of lacquer works at that time. This pairing of European modernist ideals with the local artistic tradition was celebrated as a period of exploration, with Vietnamese painters “[freeing] local lacquer from its pluri-millenary motionlessness in ornamentation to bring it into the world of “motion” expressed by freedom, opening new possibilities to express the most delicate [of] human feelings…”2.
Other Vietnamese artists who found fame in the painting genre also experimented with lacquer during their career, thereby highlighting the growing popularity of lacquer in the country’s modernist art movement. Le Pho was one such individual who created a few lacquer pieces during his lifetime. However the material was not like oil paints or pastels that all artists could use comfortably. The Vietnamese proverb “Not every person is allergic to lacquer or subject to ghost obsession”3 sheds light on the difficulties of lacquer as a mode of creative expression3. As a natural plant extract the resin from the Rhus succedanea tree that produces lacquer was not agreeable with every individual, with some having negative reactions to the substance. Therefore with dedication and patience, those who became lacquer artists were rewarded with works that were a coupling of nature and artistic ingenuity.
Created during the late thirties and early forties, View of a Landscape of the Middle Region of North Vietnam defies the historical context of that period, with the painting viewed as a pastoral moment of solitude. The country in contrast was experiencing World War II, with the Japanese occupation in the forties followed by the First Indochina War with the French afterwards. When seen in retrospect, the present piece becomes even more poignant, for amidst the political turbulence the artist-students at Maison des Beaux Arts de L'Indochine created a work that represented their yearning and desire for the Vietnam of yesteryear. Thus more than a picturesque narrative, View of a Landscape of the Middle Region of North Vietnam is a window into a forgotten world— a place of tranquility, reflection and escape.
1.Truong Hanh, Painters of The Fine Arts College of Indochina, Cartographic Mapping Institute, Hanoi, 1993, p. 27.
2. Refer to 1.
3. Bang Sy Truc, An Introduction to the Lacquer Art of Vietnam, Thavibu Gallery, March 8 2004, http://www.thavibu.com/articles/ATC24.htm