Today is a special day for Vietnamese art, the 100th birthday of the famous painter Nguyễn Sáng. He is a monument with a lot of artistic achievements and a compassionate private life.
Viet Art View is editing a video about Nguyễn Sáng’s “Portrait of Ngọc Hà”. This is one of the rare silk paintings he had created. The story of the painting is a mark of friendship between Nguyễn Sáng and the sitter – Ms Ngọc Hà. We would like to share a few lines from the conversation between Viet Art View and Ms Ngọc Hà about how the painting was created.
Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hà was born in 1928 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She had studied abroad in Paris. In 1949, she married intelligence agent Nguyễn Kim Sơn (Captain of the Musketeers of the National Guard for Chief of State Bảo Đại and a Việt Minh intelligence officer installed in the French army). In 1955, she went to Hà Nội with her husband and their first son. She is a French lecturer at the University of Diplomacy and Foreign Trade.
She said: “Mr Nguyễn Sáng had been a close friend of my family since the day my husband knew painter Nguyễn Sáng from the time he was on the Việt Bắc war zone. Later, when I returned to Hà Nội, the “Southern group” included Mr Diệp Minh Châu, Mr Nguyễn Sáng and my husband were friends, they used to gather, chatting.
I still remember, he called my mother-in-law as mother like he was a son of her. As for me, I am a colleague with Mr Hoa (Nguyễn Văn Hoa) brother of Mr Sáng. Mr Hoa and I taught French together at the Diplomatic University of Hà Nội in the 1960s.
Sài Gòn, around April 1978, while drinking with Mr Sáng, my husband – Nguyễn Kim Sơn asked Mr Sáng to make a portrait of my mother-in-law. Mr Sáng nodded immediately, promising to make it in a few days.
After painting a portrait of my mother-in-law, Mr Sáng himself offered to make a portrait for me. Mr Sáng said to me: “If you are free tomorrow, I will draw you a picture.” I said: “Brother, it has to be natural, but I’m not used to sitting as a poser to be drawn, besides, it will be oil painting or what? But I like silk because it’s softer.” Then Mr Sáng said: “Wow! This is difficult, I’ve never painted anyone with silk before.” I continued: “Well, now you can try, I’m sure it will be different through your hands.” He said, “Oh! Then I try.” Mr Sáng and I just discussed simply like this before he made the painting.”
P/S: The next interesting facts of this conversation we would like to share with you art lovers in the video that Viet Art View is in the process of making. The video will be coming to our dear art lovers in a near future.
Sincere thanks to Mr Nguyễn Trường Sơn’s family for creating conditions for Viet Art View to build the program.
Portrait of young painter Nguyễn Sáng (1923-1988)
Nguyễn Sáng (1923-1988), Portrait of Ngọc Hà, 1978, Silk, 72×53cm, Collection of Ms Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hà’s family
Ms Ngọc Hà took a photo with her friend in Switzerland while she was an international student, 1953
Ms Ngọc Hà (white áo dài) took a photo with Ms Nguyễn Thị Huê – her mother-in-law and her first son in Sài Gòn in 1955, before going to Hà Nội
Mr Nguyễn Kim Sơn and his wife, Ms Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hà; Photo taken in 1955 at Mr Đức Minh’s house (Mr Bùi Đình Thản), 53 Quang Trung, Hà Nội
Ms Ngọc Hà looking at her portrait, after 45 years; Photo taken at Ms Ngọc Hà’s house, Hồ Chí Minh City in June 2023
Ms Ngọc Hà reading Nguyễn Sáng book; Photo taken at Ms Ngọc Hà’s house, Hồ Chí Minh City in June 2023
Ms Ngọc Hà took a photo with the representative of Viet Art View during the recording; Photo taken at Ms Ngọc Hà’s house, Hồ Chí Minh City in June 2023
Nguyễn Sáng (1923-1988), Self-portrait, 1962, Oil painting, 45×60cm, Collection of Mr Bùi Quốc Chí, Hồ Chí Minh City
Written by Viet Art View
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