Painting once belonged to King Bao Dai auctioned for over 1 million USD

This has made Vietnamese Painting publicly enhance its reputation and value in the market.

In which, in the 17th auction lot, the silk paintingMoonlightby the famous painter Mai Trung Thu (size 73cm x 61cm painted in 1943) was sold for 7,812,500 HKD (more than 1 million USD). Notably,MoonlightIt was originally estimated to be worth between HKD 1,200,000 and HKD 2,200,000.

With the sale of more than 1 million USD, the painting has increased in value by over 650%.

Nguyet Cam (Mai Trung Thu)

A rather interesting detail inMoonlightis the famous painter who depicted in the painting a small red book calledNgoc Hoa.This is the main character in the Nom poem Pham Tai - Ngoc Hoa, a famous anonymous work in the 18th century with content about the beautiful, epic love story of Ngoc Hoa and Pham Tai.

The second work is a lacquer set calledSunset on Ha Long Bay(Painted around 1938 - 1945) by famous artist Pham Hau was sold for 9,732,500 HKD (more than 1,247,937 USD). The original estimated price of this work was from 2,800,000 HKD to 3,800,000 HKD and the sale at the above price caused the work to increase in value by about 340%.

According to the origin of the work, the lacquer setSunset on Ha Long Bayonce belonged to King Bao Dai - the last king of the feudal dynasty in Vietnam.

Sunset on Ha Long Bay - Pham Hau

In 1951,Sunset on Ha Long Baywas given by Bao Dai to American journalist Edgar Ansel Mowrer (who won the Pulitzer Prize) when the journalist visited Bao Dai in Da Lat. Along with the work was a postcard inscribed by Bao Dai.

More specifically, the famous painter Pham Hau has very few works about Ha Long Bay, andSunset on Ha Long Bayis the second work known to many people. That is why the above lacquer set is even more valuable because of its rarity.

It is known that the famous painter Pham Hau (1903 - 1994) belonged to the generation of artists who studied at the Indochina Fine Arts College along with famous painters such as Tran Binh Loc, Nguyen Do Cung, Tran Quyen, Nguyen Van Thuan, Tran Van Can... In 1932, Pham Hau changed direction to develop lacquer painting techniques and he was the one who established the first lacquer painting workshop in Vietnam. He drafted textbooks that laid the theoretical foundation for teaching lacquer art and directly taught at the National Fine Arts College.

Thay Pagoda - Pham Hau

Pham Hau is also famous for many lacquer works sold for millions of USD, including 2 paintings.Sailing landscapeandThay Pagodaare sold for one million USD each. And the lacquer paintingNine carp in the lakewas sold for $1.168 million.

According to Tienphong