The story grew even more glorious when, 15 years after its creation, 'Our View — a work by the Vietnamese artist Pham Luan — was selected for the prestigious collection of The New York Historical. Judith Hughes Day, affectionately known among Vietnamese artists as “Judy,” is celebrated as a pioneer who played a leading role in systematically introducing contemporary Vietnamese fine arts to the world.
Arriving in Viet Nam even before the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Judith Hughes Day was struck by the vibrancy and rich cultural identity of Vietnamese fine arts. As early as 1992, together with two friends, Shirley Hui and Julia Wen, she founded La Vong Gallery in Hong Kong (China). In her view, Vietnamese contemporary fine arts feature a blend of Eastern and Western influences. Aware of their rich cultural heritage, Vietnamese artists incorporate spiritual beliefs, cultural identity, and the landscapes of their homeland into their works.
Judy’s discerning “blue eyes” recognised Pham Luan’s talent from those early days. In 1994, his first solo exhibition abroad, dedicated entirely to Ha Noi, was held at La Vong Gallery. Throughout the 1990s, Pham Luan and La Vong Gallery continuously introduced new collections, establishing a substantial artistic presence at the global crossroads of commerce — Hong Kong (China).
Although the gallery no longer exists today for various reasons, it remains a significant milestone in the international integration of Vietnamese fine arts in the post-Doi Moi (Renewal) era. Judy, therefore, is consistently acknowledged as a figure who positively influenced the careers of many accomplished artists — now pillars of contemporary Vietnamese fine arts.
In 1997, leaving Asia behind, Judith Hughes Day returned to New York and opened her own gallery dedicated to Vietnamese fine arts: Judith Hughes Day Vietnamese Contemporary Fine Art. The apartment she shared with her husband John Day — whom their Vietnamese friends also fondly called John — naturally became a gathering place for many artists visiting the US.
Pham Luan recalled: “From John and Judy’s apartment, I could clearly see every detail of the church spire. In the early morning, before the sun rose, the scene possessed the serene and tranquil beauty of a city at dawn. When the sun came up, its light illuminated the blue paint on the church spire. I could see all the intricate and beautiful details. The sunlight made the church stand out as the focal point of the scene, set against the rows of trees in Central Park behind it. To my eyes, it already looked like a painting. In 2005, I sketched a few studies. Each time I returned to John and Judy’s home, I cherished the intention of painting this view, and finally I decided to create the work in 2007. For such a large painting, I did not have the space to set up an easel on site, so I made sketches and took photos. I painted it later in my studio in Ha Noi based on those sketches, photos, and above all the memories of the scene during my stays in New York. I gave the painting to John and Judy. Because it depicts the view from their apartment, they named it ‘Our View’. It marked the beginning of a beautiful story, one that has come to a joyful and fulfilling conclusion.”
In 2021, John and Judy attended an exhibition introducing a newly donated collection to The New York Historical.
According to the museum’s own description, it was “a collection of New York City–inspired art assembled by Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld over nearly four decades, featuring works from the mid-19th to the 21st century. The collection includes 130 paintings, sculptures, and other works by renowned artists such as David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Thomas Hart Benton, and Norman Rockwell, among many others. The works in this collection — particularly those created in the 20th century — will enhance the museum’s holdings, which are especially known for Hudson River School landscapes, colonial portraits, and 19th-century genre paintings. Eighty-two of the 107 artists represented in this collection had never before had their works displayed at The New York Historical, including Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Fernand Léger, and Stuart Davis.
After visiting the exhibition, John and Judy conceived the idea of donating Pham Luan’s Our View to further enrich this distinguished collection. Following a careful and professional process of consultation and evaluation, senior leaders of The New York Historical — including Margaret K. Hofer, Vice President and Director; Wendy Ikemoto, Senior Curator of Art; and Marilyn Kushner, Curator and Head of the Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections — expressed their delight and appreciation in a letter responding to the days. They said they were very pleased to add both works to the museum’s collection, and they confirmed their clear interest in accepting Judy’s generous offer.
The New York Historical has accepted the gift of the Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection of New York City landscapes, which includes many views of Central Park. Pham Luan’s painting and Peter Steinhauer’s photograph are poetic works that beautifully complement the Hirschfeld Collection as well as other works in our holdings. Moreover, in light of our recent landmark exhibition on the war in Viet Nam, the addition of a work by a Vietnamese artist to the museum’s collection is especially meaningful.
As if guided by a conviction rooted deep within her heart, Judith Hughes Day completed the donation of Pham Luan’s ‘Our View’ to The New York Historical before serenely embarking on her final journey. On October 20, 2025, Judith Hughes Day passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family in New York.
The portrait of Judy painted by Pham Luan received heartfelt responses from relatives and friends and was also introduced at her memorial service, held in the early hours of January 15, 2026 (Viet Nam time). Over the course of her 84 years — she was born in 1941 — Judith Hughes Day made “more than 60 trips to Viet Nam.” With her boundless love for Vietnamese painting, Judy served as a vital bridge, helping bring the emotionally rich visual arts of this country to new and distant shores.
In 2025, at the invitation of John and Judy, Linh Pham — the daughter of painter Pham Luan — travelled to the US to personally present ‘Our View’ to The New York Historical on her father’s behalf. From that moment on, the work of a Vietnamese artist has stood on equal footing alongside masterpieces by some of the world’s leading painters, displayed within a space steeped in history.
