THE WORK “PINK SCARF” OF ARTIST VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000)

Although Vũ Cao Đàm studied sculpture, he created many paintings on oil, silk, etc. Like other painters of that time, he especially loved to create works on the theme of mother and child, young women with graceful and elegant shapes. Among the four Vietnamese famous painters Phổ-Thứ-Lựu-Đàm who lived and worked in Europe, Vũ Cao Đàm was the earliest to come, in 1931, after his parents passed away that same year. Among this quartet, only Mai Trung Thứ had the opportunity to return to the homeland in 1974. Although he had not had the opportunity to visit his homeland, like other children far from home who love their homeland, Vũ Cao Đàm never stopped missing his homeland. Therefore, the young women in his paintings were always filled with thoughts of their homeland, transformed through the characters.

In the early 1950s, Vũ Cao Đàm created small portraits of young women using oil on wooden boards, cardboard or silk. It can be said that Vũ Cao Đàm was very successful with this image. Under his profound artistic vision, the portrait of a Vietnamese girl is described meticulously and delicately, exuding elegance, grace, and full facial features in a gentle beauty. In this portrait, Vũ Cao Đàm depicted a girl with those standard beauty features. The girl does not smile, her eyes look down slightly with a pensive look, but her face is still happy thanks to her pink lips and warm colors on her cheeks. The special thing is that the veil is also in a warm and youthful pink tone, adding to the beauty of the character. Depending on the color harmony of the work and also on the mood, Vũ Cao Đàm used the corresponding color scheme for the scarf. The warm and cool color tones of the girl make the viewer feel optimistic, positive, and full of fresh energy.

VŨ CAO ĐÀM (1908-2000)
“The pink scarf”, circa 1950
Ink and watercolor on silk, mounted on cardboard
Signed in the lower right corner
33,5 × 24 cm