The painting Lantern Festival, 1965, lacquer, 87.4×115.3 cm by artist Lê Vinh (1923-2008), belongs to the collection of Việt Nam Fine Arts Museum.
Lê Vinh (1923-2008). Lantern Festival. 1965. Lacquer. 87,4×115,3 cm.
Compared to other big names and focal paintings, Lantern Festival has a much more modest position. But the story that artist Lê Vinh telling with shapes, lines, colors, and light on lacquer opens up to viewers a wonderful world of children.
Looking closely at what is depicted on the painting’s surface, we can see that this is the story of Việt Nam’s agriculture in the past. Children (school age) help their families use lights to catch caterpillars, brown planthoppers that destroy crops (rice).
Looking at the painting, we can go back to Việt Nam in the 1960s. At that time, Việt Nam was divided into North and South. Northern Việt Nam focused on food production, supporting the southern battlefield, and the resistance war against America. We can partly imagine the urgent atmosphere in labor and production in the North with the slogan “All for the beloved South.”
Children living in that period, according to the educational motto “Little do little things / Depending on your strength.” Each child contributed their strength, first to help their parents and family, and then to make a little contribution in the national anti-American cause.
Humanity, gratitude is the main message of the painting portrayed by artist Lê Vinh very poetically and emotionally in a personified style. Children listen to their parents to help with farm work; the setting, context and nature of work (in groups) have made this farming work become a meaningful ‘work festival’.
With the ability to express the light with unique splendor, clarity, and depth of lacquer, artist Lê Vinh presented to viewers a visual feast of the brilliant light that flares up and burns in the dark. The closer we look, the longer we look, the more we see that this light is magical and beautiful in every sense. Painter Lê Vinh truly made his mark on lacquer in Lantern Festival.
Each little light in the oil lamp becomes a splendid flower lantern sparkling with happiness, creating an exciting night of flower lantern festival.
On the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival, instead of paintings with lanterns, lion dance, moon cakes, Viet Art View dearly sends art lovers an innocent world of Vietnamese rural children more than half a century ago.
Written by Viet Art View
Copyrights belong to Viet Art View
