The worth was decided within the Arts D’asie, Tableaux Modernes public sale by Artwork Analysis Paris, on the Drouot public sale home on Thursday. “Portrait of My Mom” was the only work auctioned, and bids have been submitted each on-line and in particular person.
In keeping with Ngo Kim Khoi, an arts researcher and the grandson of Nam Son,, earlier than the public sale began, Drouot skilled a technical challenge and lots of on-line bidders couldn’t entry the bidding hyperlink. A few of them might solely enter the bidding hyperlink after “the gavel was hit.” The best bidder was current on the public sale.
Khoi attributed the lower-than-expected remaining value to a number of causes, together with this technical drawback.
“Hopefully I’ll see the portrait of my nice grandmother at some point, in all probability in a museum or in a non-public assortment,” he stated.
 |
|
“Portrait of My Mom,” 170×103.5cm. Photograph courtesy of Artwork Analysis Paris |
The oil portray “Portrait of My Mom” illustrates the artist’s mom, Nguyen Thi Lan, sitting on a chair. She is seen in a inexperienced tunic, with a shawl overlaying her head, a rosary round her neck, and a golden allure imprinted with the 4 phrases “Tiet hanh kha phong,” a title given to widows in Vietnamese imperial occasions to honour them. The title was given to her by King Bao Dai in 1927.
She is holding a e book in her proper hand. On the underside proper nook of the portray is the painter’s signature: “Nguyen Nam Son, Hanoi, 1930”.
The portray was exhibited on the 1931 Worldwide Colonial Exhibition in Paris, and launched within the Salon Exhibition by Affiliation of French Artists in 1932, the place the portray was given a silver medal.
The Nam Son Archives claimed that the late painter despatched a photograph of the portray to Jean-Pierre Laurens and requested for his suggestions. Upon his request, the French painter wrote “Your portray left such an awesome impression on me. It demonstrated the garments and auras of individuals in your nation. I’ve a sense that you’ve got mastered the tranquillity of high quality arts …”
The portray as soon as belonged to the personal assortment of Sambuc, the president of the Affiliation of French in Indochina, who purchased it on February 21, 1933.
The portray depicts Nam Son’s gratitude in the direction of his mom.
 |
|
Work on the Indochina College of High quality Arts earlier than being despatched to 1931 Worldwide Colonial Exhibition in Paris. Photograph courtesy of the French Nationwide Archives |
Nguyen Nam Son (1890-1973) was born in Hanoi and was one of many first Vietnamese modern painters. He co-founded the Indochina College of High quality Arts with the French painter Victor Tardieu.
Throughout his profession, the veteran artist painted greater than 400 work. His mediums assorted from oil, silk, and water colours, to Chinese language ink, and purple pencils.