Vietnamese Watercolor Art: Masters & Masterpieces

The Vietnamese paintings are unique; they are connected to our tragic war history, to the personal experiences of the painters, and to the Western influence. It is a fight for the affirmation of their identity and today they hold a deep place in the international art scene. Here are classic and contemporary paintings that have marked the artistic history of Vietnam. You can see many Vietnamese painting shops during your excursion in Hanoi.

This painting is the best-known work of artist To Ngoc Van, a pioneer of oil painting in Vietnam. Being one of the most representative works of 20th-century art of Vietnam, it represents a girl in a white ao dai (long Vietnamese dress) near a pot of lilies; there is the tradition and the sweetness of the Vietnamese woman. The shape of the girl leaning towards the flowers and the colors emit a slight sadness. It reflects the image of the Hanoi women who will pick the lily flowers in March and April each year when they are more blooming than ever. The combination of light and white color represents the purity of the girl, and her sweet melancholy appearance gives the feeling of a beautiful and deep soul in her.

Great modern art artist Luong Xuan Nhi brought the painting of western oil to Vietnam. Known as the Great Painter of the Green, his major subject was nature, landscape. This painting is a typical example of his style, taking a simple rural landscape seemingly banal, it brings out the beauty with the play of colors, calm, the peace of rural life, and the Vietnamese spirit, making an ordinary landscape a place like out of a tale. He puts his emotions forward to create such a work and asserted that an artist must always be true to himself; it is an important root in the creation of art.

Nguyen Phan Chanh was a painter who adhered to the ancient tradition, silk painting, despite the contrasts. He used transparent colors like the Chinese calligraphy he studied. It showcases Vietnamese peasants and soldiers and rural life to show its resistance to Western domination. His childhood was difficult because he came from a poor family but it created a love for the peasants. The painting above says more than it appears; it shows the sadness and difficulties of the peasants but also their determination and courage to feed the family. In addition, the artist tended to write a few words or Chinese quotes in these paintings as if to express themselves personally.

Graduate of the Hanoi University of Fine Arts, specialized in monumental scientific study (wide painting and wall painting), Pham Hoang Minh mainly takes the streets of Hanoi, the atmosphere of Hanoi life. Even if the forms are not concrete, the colors and the structure speak for themselves, as if to give the image of a lively city full of colors and always in activity. There is always a certain balance between warm colors and cold colors. His paintings can be purchased on his site, priced in the 1000 and 2000 USD range.

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