Cultural life

10 paintings of King Ham Nghi to be auctioned

University (according to VnExpress) • April 5, 2024 08:37

The painting "Grassland" is expected to sell for 10,000-15,000 euros, the most expensive of 10 works by King Ham Nghi at the auction on April 5.

Titles — The work "The Pasture" (Grassland) was painted by King Ham Nghi in 1909, size 49.5x64 cm. On the green grass background, animals such as buffaloes and horses are eating grass.

The painting is estimated to fetch 10,000-15,000 euros (about 270-406 million VND), the highest price in the "Indochina - Chapter 17" sale by auction house Lynda Trouvé. The collection sold includes 10 paintings by King Ham Nghi. Last September, 19 works by the king were auctioned by Lynda Trouvé at the Drouot Hotel in Paris, for a total of 330,000 euros (more than 8.5 billion VND), of which the most expensive painting cost 38,000 euros (more than 974 million VND).

King Ham Nghi was born in 1871, his real name was Nguyen Phuc Minh, his courtesy name was Ung Lich, he ascended the throne in 1884 at the age of 13, he was the eighth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. In 1885, after the fall of the capital Hue, the king and Ton That Thuyet left the capital and issued the Can Vuong edict against the French colonialists. In 1888, he was arrested and exiled by the French to Alger (capital of Algeria). He died in 1944 of stomach cancer.

Titles - 1 — The painting "The path in springtime", measuring 32.5x38.5 cm, is valued by Lynda Trouvé at 1,500-2,000 euros (about 40-54 million VND).

King Ham Nghi's artistic talent was discovered while in exile in France. He lived in a villa in El Biar (Algeria) under strict supervision and protection. Here, he began to study photography and create paintings. He became friends with the paintbrush, as a hobby to help him forget the reality of being deposed. According to the website of the Asian Art Museum in Nice, the king wrote in a letter to Mr. Gondrecourt in January 1897: ''In the paintings there are my ups and downs, my thoughts, my sadness, my joy and a thousand shades. I console my heart. For me, painting is a source of encouragement and consolation.''

Titles - 2 — Asian Artsaid that landscape paintings with light tones such as purple, gray, blue, yellow are typical of the king's paintings. Pictured is the work "Twilight on the cliffs of Marseille", completed in 1910, estimated at 1,500-3,000 euros (about 40-81 million VND).

Titles - 5 — The painting ''Silhouette in the forest'', measuring 39.5x30.5, is expected to fetch 2,000-4,000 euros (about 54-108 million VND). In the painting, people appear vaguely and small in the middle of the forest. In his works, the king rarely painted people, which is said to imply loneliness.

Titles - 3 — The painting "Apple trees in bloom. Alley of poplars" is valued at 1,500-3,000 euros (about 40-81 million VND), featuring two apple trees blooming with white flowers. The sky with a few clouds occupies most of the painting, suggesting a vast space.

Titles - 9 — The oil on canvas work ''Promenade on the banks of the Allier'' is expected to sell for 3,000-5,000 euros (about 81-135 million VND).

Titles - 4 — The auction house estimates the work "At the edge of the wood", measuring 39x29 cm, to fetch 1,500-3,000 euros (about 40-81 million VND). The painting is signed by the king and dated 1910 in the lower right corner.

Titles - 6 — Painting ''The old town in the late afternoon'' is estimated at 2,000-4,000 euros (about 54-108 million VND)

Titles - 8 — The King painted ''Countryside near Algiers'' in 1900. The 28.5x34.6 cm work is valued at 3,000-5,000 euros (about 81-135 million VND).

Titles - 7 — The painting "The great oak tree" is expected to fetch 2,000-4,000 euros (about 54-108 million VND).

University (according to VnExpress)