NGUYỄN KHANG (1911-1989) Lot n° 7

La famille de bergers, 1986 Lacquer panel with gold highlights, 3 panels, signed and dated lower right 24 x 23 7/8 in. - 24 x 24 in. - 24 x 24 1/4 in. Total : 27 x 72 in. From this set of three panels emanate a quietude as well as a feeling ofsoftness recalled by the 1986 artist’s quote: Les fleurs sentent bon et les chevaux sont bien nourris : réussite et prospérité. This Vietnamese expression is in keeping with to the dynamic and joyful atmosphere that hangs over the lacquer. The breath of the wind is perceptible in the curvature of the tall grass and the watery movements. The robust horses accompany the work of the farmers. They symbolize, in the Vietnamese culture and more widely Asian culture, prosperity, success, development and bring success to the traders. In this scene, they snort, drink and contribute amply to the impression of happiness and serenity that emanates from the composition. It is a moment of pause which is illustrated here, the characters displaying expressions both joyful and relaxed. Nguyên Khang made this lacquer at the end of his life and demonstrates his mastery of an art worked on for years. Three years before he died, the work appears as an achievement by its technicality. Nguyễn Khang does not use all the techniques of traditional lacquer. He carves the lacquer, crushes the gold into powder and sprinkles it with engraved decoration, which he sands down in several successive layers. If the gold enhances the basketry pieces and the bodies of the workers, it also marks the movement of the water and the swimming of the fish. The contrasts with the shades of orange-red and silver are reinforced by the almost black and shiny background. NGUYỄN KHANG Vietnamese artist, Nguyên Khang was born in Hanoi in 1912. In 1935, Nguyên Kang graduated from the Hanoi School of Fine Arts. Along with his fellow students, such as Tran Van Can, Phạm Hậu and Nguyễn Gia Trí, he contributed to the birth of lacquer painting as a preeminent medium in modern Vietnamese art in the 20th century. The development of the artist’s work reached its peak following his trip to Paris, when he participated in the 1937 World’s Fair, in the Indochina pavilion. Shortly thereafter, in the early 1940s, he travelled to Japan, and finds in it a source of inspiration. As an artist accustomed to subjects related to the relationship between man and nature, many of his lacquers depict animals, such as horses, cats or birds. Many major galleries and museums such as Wonzimer have presented Nguyên Khang’s work in the past. Some of his works are notably exhibited at the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, although most are kept in private collections. Although Nguyên Khang is a renowned artist, few of his works are presented for sale on the international market today, and even fewer in France.