Nguyen Gia Tri (1908 - 1993) was born in Chuong My District, Hanoi. He graduated from the Indochina College of Fine Arts in 1936 and is considered one of the masters of Vietnamese painting. His artworks are famous for their exquisite, high-quality materials, depicting the natural beauty and landscapes of Vietnam.
Art researcher Ngo Kim Khoi with the work The Battle of Bach Dang River
The work has an elaborate and complex composition.
The Bonhams auction house website states: "Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr is delighted to offer the painting Battle of Bach Dang River in the online auction La Modernité Vietnamienne. The painting is believed to be by the famous Vietnamese artist Nguyen Gia Tri after a meticulous research process before the sale.
The Battle of Bach Dang in 1288 was an important naval battle between Dai Viet (present-day Vietnam) and the Yuan Dynasty (Mongol Empire). The battle is a testament to the excellent military command of Tran Hung Dao and has always been a source of national pride, inspiring many artistic creations of later generations. The composition and motifs in this painting are consistent with historical records, confirming the reenactment of the famous naval battle on the Bach Dang River in the 13th century. It demonstrates the artist's mastery in creating large-scale scenes and his deep understanding of national history."
According to art researcher Ngo Kim Khoi: "The back of the painting is inscribed XXVIII. Biennale Internazionale d'Arte di Venezia - 1956 - 181 , authenticated by La Biennale di Venezia - the unit responsible for the Venice Biennale exhibition held annually in Venice, Italy. The presence of information on the back confirms that the painting was sent to Venice. In those years, not all artworks sent to the exhibition were selected. If not selected, they had to be returned to the country of origin. This may explain why the painting was later found in the Embassy of the Republic of Vietnam in Rome."
Back of the painting Battle of Bach Dang River
According to Mr. Khoi (who was invited by Bonhams to Paris to appraise the painting before the auction), traces of brown lacquer on three sides of the back of the painting indicate that a part of the painting may have been cut off, raising questions about the original condition of the work when it was brought to Venice. Furthermore, the painting does not have the artist's original signature, perhaps because it was cut off?
Why can paintings of uncertain authorship still sell for high prices?
After April 30, 1975, a European private collector bought the painting, which was then repurchased by the current owner in the 2000s. A card accompanies the painting, with a caption stating the work's title as Battle of Bach Dang River in the 13th century , lacquer by Nguyen Gia Tri, Vietnamese artist.
Lacquer painting Battle of Bach Dang River
The book Hanoi Painting - Remaining Memories of art critic Nguyen Hai Yen recorded the story of painter Bui Quang Ngoc: during a visit to the wife of famous painter Nguyen Gia Tri in February 1999, she revealed that in 1956 - 1957, the Saigon government invited Mr. Nguyen Gia Tri to create a series of historical lacquer paintings, spanning from ancient times to the present, including the Bach Dang Battle . However, is the painting she mentioned the one that was just auctioned?
Regarding the question of why it is not certain that Nguyen Gia Tri's paintings are still being bought at high prices, researcher Ngo Kim Khoi commented: "All paintings with history and stories attached, whether "believed" to be by a certain artist or not, are still more valuable than vague, uninformed paintings. Although the Bach Dang River Battle does not have Nguyen Gia Tri's signature, through techniques, technology and expert assessments, it will always be authenticated and somewhat trusted."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tran-chien-song-bach-dang-duoc-cho-cua-danh-hoa-nguyen-gia-tri-ban-voi-gia-13-ti-dong-185241214202717005.htm
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