Portraiture was first practiced in Hanoi’s old quarter in the 1960s. Hundreds of shops were opened on the streets particularly in Hang Ngang, Hang Dao and Hang Duong. People who reminisce about Hanoi often talk of the talented artist Nguyen Luc, whose sketches describe the subject so honestly.

With scientific advancements, including those of the printing industry and photography, portraiture seems to decline with every passing day. Images of the old artists who were engulfed in doing portraits are now rarely seen in the modern, bustling streets of Hanoi.

However, many art lovers in Hanoi are still passionate about portraiture, and thanks to their enthusiasm, this long-standing craft continues to be sustained.

Old artists Nguyen Bao Nguyen, who is living at No. 47 Hang Ngang Street and Tran Van Thinh at No. 24 Hang Duong Street, are among the few artists who have continued doing portraits for decades.

 

Thinh recalled that when he was six years old, his father taught him portraiture and since then he has worked with the brush tirelessly.

“I would feel quite bad if I stopped painting or mixing ink, even for a single day,” Thinh said, adding that he only stops drawing when he is quite sick.

“I always remember my father’s words ‘painting portraits will not bring the artist riches, but it will train him to be patient– which is the source of success’. He told me to do portraiture, as the craft would train me to be patient which is necessary for my life,” said the old artist.

Thinh recalled the years of the 1980s and 1990s when the craft of portraiture in the old quarter of Hanoi declined seriously because people were attracted by the new effects of photoshop technology. They took colour photos, or made grafted pictures with the help of photoshop.

“I had fewer clients, and for months there was not a single one who came to my shop. Then I had to reproduce famous paintings to sell,” said the artisan.

However, the trend of grafting pictures using the photoshop technique soon went by, and people who loved portraiture returned to his shop.

In 1999, a customer, named Nguyen Binh, in Dong Da District, brought a black-and-white photo to Thinh’s shop and asked him to draw it. All the details in the picture were faded and it took him a whole month to restore it with high accuracy.

To date, there are only two portraiture artists in the old quarter of Hanoi, Nguyen Bao Nguyen and Tran Van Thinh. However, only Thinh continues to do the craft because Nguyen had to stop due to sickness.
 

Hanoi’s old streets have attracted many domestic and foreign tourists due to their interesting historical and cultural sites, and portraiture also draws their attention. Thinh said many tourists asked him to teach the craft to their children, including a foreigner from Iran.

“The tourists send me pictures by e-mails to draw and I return the finished work by post – it’s very convenient,” he said.

The old artist said he is now doing the craft not to earn money, but for fear of the craft being lost over time.

“I am ready to teach portraiture to anybody who wants to learn. If the craft disappears, I will feel guilty,” said the devoted artist, adding that he would try his best to teach his daughter to master the craft, like his father did for him years ago./.