Recently, an exhibition entitled “Vietnamese Folk Painting – Trio Painting Sets” was held in Ho Chi Minh City that featured Henri Oger’s widely published folk paintings and the first-time publication of Maurice Durand and Luc Van Tien’s paintings. It is one of the events within the cultural program celebrating the 40th anniversary of the France-Vietnam cooperation.
The exhibition displayed 15 pictures on folk themes, including images culled from the two works, including “Technical Encyclopedia” of Henri Oger and “Folk Paintings” of Maurice Durand and unpublished wood carvings of Luc Van Tien colored paintings. These valuable documents are now preserved at the French Academy of the Far East (EFEO).
The picture of girl fluting.
The painting of a girl playing the Nguyet guitar (Vitenamese two chord guitar).
The picture of lotus flowers and field crabs.
The picture of little boy and Buddha hand citron.
The picture of an elder and pomegranate.
The picture of the gate guarding genie riding on the tiger’s back.
The picture of patron saint riding on the unicorn’s back.
The picture of the boys of four palaces.
The picture depicts the scene of Thuc Sinh meeting Kieu.
The picture depicts the scene of Kieu and Kim Trong talking with each other.
According to Prof. Phillippe Papin, a former expert of EFEO, all these paintings were created on hand-made wood carvings which were later filled with colours so they are all considered folk paintings.
Besides Henri Oger’s largely published pictures, the exhibition displayed those of Maurice Durand and the Luc Van Tien coloured paintings which were first announced in Vietnam.
Maurice Durand, the former head of EFEO in Hanoi, loved collecting Vietnamese folk paintings. In 1956, when he left his office in Vietnam, he took his entire collection back to France. After he passed away, his wife handed it over to the EFEO. Durand’s collection was first published in a book in France in 1960. Then, Prof. Papin clarified and revised some details in four languages, including Vietnamese, French, Han (ancient Chinese characters) and Nom (a demotic script formerly used to write Vietnamese and based on Chinese characters). The collection of Maurice Durand varied in themes, such as daily life and nature, religion and beliefs and Vietnamese and Chinese literature.
Besides Henri Oger’s largely published pictures, the exhibition displayed those of Maurice Durand and the Luc Van Tien coloured paintings which were first announced in Vietnam.
Maurice Durand, the former head of EFEO in Hanoi, loved collecting Vietnamese folk paintings. In 1956, when he left his office in Vietnam, he took his entire collection back to France. After he passed away, his wife handed it over to the EFEO. Durand’s collection was first published in a book in France in 1960. Then, Prof. Papin clarified and revised some details in four languages, including Vietnamese, French, Han (ancient Chinese characters) and Nom (a demotic script formerly used to write Vietnamese and based on Chinese characters). The collection of Maurice Durand varied in themes, such as daily life and nature, religion and beliefs and Vietnamese and Chinese literature.
The painting depicts the daily life of Vietnamese people in the past.
The picture depicts the scene of returning home to pay thanks to ancestors after achieving academic honours.
The picture of a ploughman.
The picture depicts the folk game -“Blind-man's-buff”.
The picture of King Dinh Tien Hoang.
The painting depicts the scene of Tran Hung Dao defeating the Nguyen invaders.
The painting depicts the scene of farming and winnowing basket.
The painting depicts street artists with traditional musical instruments.
The painting shows the technique on building houses of the Vietnamese in the past.
A part of the exhibition.
The picture of a ploughman.
The picture depicts the folk game -“Blind-man's-buff”.
The picture of King Dinh Tien Hoang.
The painting depicts the scene of Tran Hung Dao defeating the Nguyen invaders.
The painting depicts the scene of farming and winnowing basket.
The painting depicts street artists with traditional musical instruments.
The painting shows the technique on building houses of the Vietnamese in the past.
A part of the exhibition.
The drafts of the Luc Van Tien coloured paintings were carved at the end of the 19th century, illustrating Luc Van Tien, an epic poem of Nguyen Dinh Chieu. During the French colonial period, Eugene Gibert, Frenchman who was fascinated with revered poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s Luc Van Tien poem narrative, assigned a Hue artist called Le Duy to illustrate the entire story. In 1899, Gibert presented the EFEO the picture-book which was kept in the institute’s archives and went unnoticed for decades.
The exhibition not only showed the rarity and diversity of Vietnamese folk painting but also the love and great contribution of French experts to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese folk heritage.
The exhibition not only showed the rarity and diversity of Vietnamese folk painting but also the love and great contribution of French experts to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese folk heritage.
Story: Nguyen Vu Thanh Dat - Photo: Le Minh
