Pioneers of the Various Genres of Vietnamese Art

Surviving the aftermath of revolutions and wars, Vietnam has moved on steadily to bask in the warmth of sunny days. The Vietnamese art and culture has finally come to terms with modern times. Years of traditionalism and foreign influence had created a deep impact on Vietnamese art and culture. However, it's good to see that Vietnamese art was not bogged down by these influences. Vietnamese artists have made a conscious effort to rediscover the lost glory of Vietnamese art and be recognized for its uniqueness.There have emerged new styles in the contemporary art scenario of Vietnam. These art traditions are responsible in bringing back the limelight once again to the modern Vietnamese art. Lacquer paintings, silk paintings, oil paintings by Vietnamese artists are excellent examples of their artistic finesse. Vietnamese silk paintings have been influenced by the Chinese tradition. This style of art was initiated by Nguyen Phan Chanh, who made a successful attempt at combining Oriental and Western techniques. His exquisite silk paintings are expressive of their inner beauties rather than mere surface depiction. The silk paintings of Chanh carry a unique Vietnamese flavor. The interaction of brown, soil yellow and light colors with fine silk weave a latent lyricism in his works. Followers of Chanh together created a beautiful collection of silk paintings that now form the soul of Vietnamese art. In Nguyen Tuong Lan's Blossoming Beauty, a young lady sits gracefully on a porcelain stool against the background of dark brown, giving the impression of musical rhythms typical of silk. Mai Trung Thu preferred studies of young ladies with sad, tearful eyes against the dark indigo background, suggesting a vague nostalgia. Le Van De focused on the genteel, slender beauty of upper-class ladies, rendering details of the hair, the face and the hands, but leaving the rest to merge into the mystic blurred veil of colors. Because of the nature of silk, objects rendered on silk easily become blurred and vague. Tran Van Can and Luong Xuan Nhi, however, were able to make the clouds, smokes, trees, faces and hands in their paintings without sacrificing the gentleness inherent in the fabric. Nguyen Tien Chung is said to be a born silk painter, as objects in his paintings appear soft, gentle and rhythmic, while his use of colours varies from simplicity to exuberance, and his representations alternate between folkloric stylization and academic rendition.Next comes the glory of the Vietnamese lacquer tradition. Initiated first by the French artist, J. Inguimberty, Vietnamese lacquer tradition was carried forward by a local artist, Nguyen Gia Tri. Taking cue from both the East and the West, he succeeded in preserving a truly Vietnamese style. Looking at his paintings, one always has the impression that they are reflections of objects beneath an even, clear water surface. Other lacquer painters as Tran Van Can, Nguyen Van Ty, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Le Pho, Nguyen Khang, Pham Hau and Tran Quang Tran carried on Tri’s success. Though not as successful as their predecessor, they all contributed immensely to the Vietnamese lacquer tradition. The themes employed by these artists ranged from landscapes, temples and pagodas to bridges, bamboo groves, rivers, seas and mountains. Introduction of oil painting in the Vietnamese art tradition was first pioneered by Ngoc Van. Unlike V. Tardieu and J. Inguimberty, Ngoc Van believed that oil painting could be successfully imbibed into the fabric of the Vietnamese art tradition. He was always inspired by realism and so employed themes related to women, daily life and landscape in his paintings. His attention towards shape and color is noteworthy; layers of colors merge to create a contradictory effect of hardness and softness, ambiguity and clarity. No wonder, Ngoc Van is credited to have been among the first to bring Vietnamese painting into the mainstream of world's modern arts.Besides these wonderful instances of Vietnam paintings, famous painters as Nguyen Tu Nghiem have wonderfully combined the folklore tradition with contemporary modern spirit. Paintings of Nguyen Sang are patriotic in their themes and speak of the various phases of Vietnamese wars and. The noteworthy masterpieces of Xuan Phai bring to life the ancient street of Hanoi with its moss-covered walls, dark red tiled roofs and ancient streets. Without these brilliant contributions by these Vietnam artists, Vietnamese art tradition would not have been recognized and appreciated by the all the art connoisseurs of the world.

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