The event was co-organised by the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum and Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Nguyen Gia Tri (1908-2018) and the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (June 24, 1966-2018).
The sketches vary in size, ranging from the smallest measuring 15x11cm to the largest at 67x106cm, collected by the HCM City Fine Arts Museum during 1991-2010.
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A sketch of a lotus leaf.
Tri used various materials for the lacquer paintings, which is known in Vietnam as sơn mài, including ball-point pens, charcoal, water colours, felt-tipped pens, oil on canvas and wax-colours. His sketches depicted landscapes, human characters and designs and themes on national history.
Tri, a Ha Tay (now Hanoi) native, is considered as a legend in the history of modern Vietnamese fine arts. He developed a special interest in the lacquer technique of painting and devoted most of his time to its research. He was honoured with the noble Ho Chi Minh Award for Literature and the Arts in 2012.
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A sketch by Nguyen Gia Tri on display at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
Vuon Xuan Trung Nam Bac (Centre South North Spring Garden) is one of his master paintings and is his last artwork. Measuring 540x200cm, the painting was bought by the HCM City People’s Committee in 1991 for US$100,000. It was later presented to the HCM City Museum of Fine Arts and recognised as a national treasure.
Tri is the only Vietnamese artist whose paintings have been sold at a special price, the larger the painting, the higher the price.
The exhibition will be open to visitors until July 10 at the museum at No. 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hanoi.
Following are several pictures of Tri’s sketches at the event:
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A sketch of a lotus leaf.
