20th Century Vietnamese landscapes and people in French painters' paintings

The painting Le retour du marché (Going back from the market) by Joseph Inguimberty had the highest selling price at the A Quest for Eternity: The Philippe Damas Collection sale organized by Christie's Hong Kong at the end of March. The event included many paintings of landscapes and people of Vietnam from a century ago by French artists, part of Philippe Damas' collection.

The work, which sold for 12.47 million HKD (41.52 billion VND), was created by the artist in 1933. The painting measures 204x200 cm and depicts women wearing ao dai, hair in buns, people carrying goods, people holding children, next to an old man and a dog.

Joseph Inguimberty depicts people working in the painting Dans les rizières (In the Rice Fields). The artist painted the painting in 1930, measuring 73x120 cm, oil on canvas. The work is priced at 630,000 HKD (about two billion VND).

Joseph Inguimberty (1896-1971) was born in Marseille, France. In 1925, he accepted the invitation of Victor Tardieu - founder of the Indochina College of Fine Arts (now the Vietnam University of Fine Arts) - to teach decorative arts there. He worked for more than 20 years, contributing to the birth of modern Vietnamese art. The image often seen in the artist's paintings is of women wearing conical hats, scarves wrapped around their heads, and carrying a pair of shoulder poles.

A corner of a rural market in the North in the painting March é au Tonkin (Market in Tonkin) is priced at 3.52 million HKD (11.7 billion VND). The painting was created by Jos Henri Ponchin in 1930, measuring 200x294 cm, oil on canvas, using many bright colors, creating a bustling scene.

Jos Henri Ponchin (1897-1981) was a third generation member of the famous Ponchin family in France. After a trip to Hanoi with his father, he lived in Vietnam until 1931, spending his time teaching drawing to French students at a high school in Saigon.

La paysanne (The Peasant Woman) by Victor Tardieu was hammered for 3.15 million HKD (10.4 billion VND). He completed the painting around 1922-1924, oil on canvas, size 65x81.3 cm.

Victor Tardieu (1870-1937) was born in Lyon, France. He came to Vietnam in 1921 as a winner of the Indochina Prize for Painting (Le Prix de l'Indochine). The artist once spoke of his affection for this land: ''I love the Annamese people very much. I want to help them regain their true appearance''.

In 1924, he founded the Indochina College of Fine Arts and served as principal. During the 16 years he lived and worked in Vietnam until his death, Victor Tardieu made great contributions in training a generation of talented painters such as Le Pho, Mai Trung Thu, and Nguyen Phan Chanh.

The peaceful space in the painting Vue d'Annam (Annam View) painted by Victor Tardieu around 1924, costs 163,800 HKD (545 million VND).

Commémoration à la stèle d'un lettré, Tonkin (Commemoration at the Scholar's Stele, Tonkin) by Henry Emile Vollet sold for HK$655,200. He painted the oil on canvas in 1902, measuring 54.5 x 73 cm.

Henry Emile Vollet (1861-1945), born in Paris, was one of France's leading historical painters. He was awarded an honorary degree for his work at the French Artists Salon 1888, bronze medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition. He was one of the French painters who came to Vietnam in the 20th century, with many paintings of contemporary writers, landscapes, and the lives of workers here.

Alix Aymé depicts a river scene in her work La jeune femme et le fleuve (Young Girl and the River). On a boat moored at the riverbank, a young woman is taking a break, surrounded by people moving and working. The painting, worth 504,000 HKD (1.6 billion VND), was created by the famous artist in the 1940s in lacquer on a wooden panel, measuring 38.5 x 56 cm.

Alix Aymé (1894-1989), born in Marseille, Southern France, was a rare foreign female artist who came to explore and have a long-term relationship with Vietnamese culture through research and painting. While there, she also taught at the Hue National School (1928), the Albert Sarraut High School (1931) and the Indochina College of Fine Arts.

A corner of the communal house roof and a peaceful river appear in Scène tonkinoise (Northern Scene) by Albert Cézard (1869 - around 1916), hammered for 201,600 HKD (671 million VND). He completed the painting around 1902, using oil paint on canvas, measuring 37.5x60 cm.

Procession au Tonkin (Procession in Tonkin) by René Bassouls is priced at $100,800 (VND335 million). The oil on canvas work was created in 1927, measuring 80x100 cm.

René Bassouls (1877-1945) was a French painter who had a great love for the country and people of Vietnam. He created paintings that captured the culture of the country, helping viewers immerse themselves in the lives of the people.