NGUYỄN NAM SƠN (1890-1973) Lot n° 1

Jeunes femmes revenant de la récolte Ink and wash on paper mounted on cardboard, monogramed upper right and signed lower left 24 x 4 3/8 in. This work in ink and wash on paper depicts two figures returning from the harvest, a scene of daily life in Vietnam at the time. While the subject demonstrates typically Asian heritage, the work’s composition in several successive picture planes reveals eminently modern inventivity coming from occidental teachings. NGUYỄN NAM SƠN Nguyễn Vạn Thọ, better known as Nam Sơn, was born in Hanoi in 1890 and went to the High School of the Protectorate, where he was introduced to Western art. Attracted by drawing, he contributed to the illustration of numerous manuals, newspapers, and magazines. His predispositions allowed him to meet Victor Tardieu, winner of the Indochina Prize of 1920, who became his mentor. Alongside his master, the Vietnamese artist brilliantly painted in oil and exhibited his first paintings in 1923. In 1924, the Indochina School of Fine Arts is founded where both Western and Asian techniques, such as silk painting and lacquer, were taught. A veritable talent pool, the establishment later produced the biggest names in Vietnamese painting, including Lê Phổ, Mai Thu and Vũ Cao Đàm.