The painting of a woman holding a fan by painter Nguyen Nam Sơn. (Photo: thethaovanhoa.vn)Hanoi (VNA) - A silk paintingfeaturing a woman holding a paper fan by noted painter Nguyen Nam Son, co-founderof the Indochine Fine Arts College, shocked experts after being sold for440,000 euro (504,300 USD) at an auction sale at Aguttes in Paris on October 22, marking the highest price paid for a work by thepainter in a public sale.
Titled Tonkinoise à l’eventail (A Northern Woman and a Fan), ink andwatercolour on silk, 61.5cm x 43cm, the painting was made between 1935-1936.Experts predicted the work to go for 50,000-80,000 euro.
“The most important feature in the painting isthe background, which was drawn as embroidered silk,” said researcher Ngo KimKhoi, a grandson of the late painter. “This style can be seen in other silkpaintings by Nam Son, proving his expertise when he taught art decoration atthe college.”
He also commented that the price surpassedexpectations of participants at the sale and was a positive sign for Vietnamesepaintings in the international market.
The painting was in its original frame, createdby the Tam Tho Boi Tranh workshop, run by Bui Ngoc Luu on 58 Rue MaréchalPétain in Hanoi.
The workshop was famous for framing paintingsusing traditional techniques.
Painter Nam Son used to get his paintings framedhere and sent his oldest daughter Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa to the workshop to learnthe techniques.
Thepainting used to belong to Fernand Maller, a French military official, who wasstationed in Hanoi between January 1936 and April 1938.
The painting was then brought to France and hassince been preserved by the official’s family.
At the same auction, as many as 141 items weresold, 28 of which were works by Vietnamese painters or foreign painters on Vietnam.
Paintings sold included works by Tran Van Can (1910-1994),Nguyen Tien Chung (1914-1976), Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000), Le Pho (1907-2001), MaiTrung Thu (1906-1980), Alix Aymé (1894-1989) and Tran Van Tho (1917).
Works by French painters who lived in Vietnam includedthose by Jean Louis Paguenaud (1876-1952), Henri Mège (1904-1984) and MauriceMénardeau (1897-1977).
On March 26, another silk painting featuring anorthern woman by Nam Son was also sold at Aguttes for 205,000 euro.
At the same sale, a painting by Tran Van Can wassold for 230,000 EUR which is the highest price paid for a piece by Tran Van Canso far.-VNA
VNA
