This is a very charming, very beautiful and romantic painting of a young woman by artist Tran Van Tho (silk, 45×31cm).
When looking at this painting, we are reminded of the painting (which has caused a lot of comments) – ‘Girl combing her hair’ by painter Tran Tan Loc (1906 – 1968).
According to the book ‘Mỹ thuật Đô thị Sài Gòn, Gia Định’ (Urban Fine Arts of Saigon – Gia Dinh), author Uyen Huy wrote: Artist Tran Van Tho was born in 1917 in Bac Ninh. He was a student of Hanoi Fine Arts College (maybe mistaken for Fine Arts College of Indochina). His forte was silk painting. Then (unknown year) his family and the family of artist Nguyen Van Que (1911–?) moved to Cambodia. In 1954, Tran Van Tho returned to live and teach fine arts in Saigon. He specializes in silk painting at Saigon Fine Arts National College.
About artist Nguyen Van Que, in the book ‘Hanoi Fine Arts University’, published 1990, in the list of Indochina artists, written: “Nguyen Van Que, X class (1934–1939) studied with U Van An, Nguyen Van Mau, Pham Gia Giang. Thanks to auction house knowing that he was born in 1911 but don’t know the year of death.” After 1950, Nguyen Van Que moved to France (according to Sotheby’s).
Considering the age, considering the similarity when they left Vietnam to live in Cambodia for many years, Tran Van Tho could have studied several courses before Nguyen Van Que; course 7,8 perhaps. Currently, no document has been found stating where exactly Tran Van Tho studied. Maybe his name was “missed” in the original list of Fine Art College of Indochina, as in the case of artist Tran Ha (1911–1974) and some other artists.
Tran Van Tho was born in Bac Ninh, so his visual language has the sound of Bac Ninh ‘quan họ’ folk songs. Gentle, soft brushwork. The subject often was landscape, often to depict the folded, majestic mountain scenery; Or activities of daily life such as herding buffaloes, going to the fields, kid herding; Portrait of young woman, child, mother and baby. In particular, the image of ‘liền anh, liền chị’ (brother, sister or young man, young woman in ‘quan họ’ Bắc Ninh culture) in ‘nón quai thao, áo tứ thân’ (a special large hat and long, four pieces shirt of Vietnam folk culture) ‘áo dài’ with ‘khăn đóng’ (a scarf that roll into many loops, laid on man’s head like a hat without roof, Vietnam folk culture too), in folk festivals in ‘Kinh Bắc’ region was reproduced very vividly in his painting.
His painting ‘Girl looking in the mirror’ realistically and deeply captures the typical image, costume, and background of a young woman in Hanoi, the 40s and 45s.
Viewers seem to be lost in the fantasy world of a young lady in the past, day by day looking in the mirror, combing her hair, beautifying for the person in her dream.
Paintings with a strong, romantic and mellow taste of old life like these are often sought–after and saved today.
Viet Art View will gradually introduce to you paintings in this style.
By Viet Art View
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