Painting "Portrait of my mother" by Nguyen Nam Son was auctioned for more than 5 billion VND

Before the auction, the work was expected to break the auction record for Vietnamese paintings with a starting price of 200,000 - 300,000 euros, equivalent to 5 - 7 billion VND.

According to art researcher Ngo Kim Khoi, granddaughter of painter Nguyen Nam Son, the auction took place quickly, starting at 150,000 euros. Following the ten-thousand-dollar step, the price jumped to 200,000 euros in less than 30 seconds.

Just over a minute later, to the amazement of everyone, the auction ended with the hammer going down, setting the price at 200,000 euros for the painting “Portrait of My Mother”.

The painting was sold in the auction "Arts D'asie, Tableaux Modernes" which took place on the evening of March 30 (morning of March 31, Vietnam time) online and in person.

According to the auction house Art Research Paris, this is one of the most famous works by painter Nguyen Nam Son. The painting was predicted to have a record price, surpassing Mai Trung Thu's painting Portrait of Miss Phuong with 3.1 million USD.

Commenting on the auction of the painting Portrait of My Mother, researcher Ngo Kim Khoi shared on his personal page: "There are a few issues to discuss: Before the auction, the online channel kept jumping back and forth, many people bidding online could not get in. They complained that when they got in, the auction was over.

Some reported that they had high stakes and many professional bidders were not allowed to enter because they reported debt to this side… Auctioning a painting is an unpredictable "fate".

He also congratulated the person who successfully auctioned the classic painting at a "very good price", and hoped that one day the collector could display the work of famous painter Nguyen Nam Son for the public to enjoy.

The painting "Portrait of my mother" was successfully sold by Art Research Paris for 200,000 euros - Photo: arp-auction

The painting depicts Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan sitting solemnly on a chair. She wears a traditional Buddhist hat, scarf, and robe. Around her neck is a string of rosary beads, and on her chest is a golden plaque "Tiet hanh kha phong" (Virtue and Virtue) given by King Bao Dai in 1927. She holds a sutra on her knee.

The portrait is depicted solemnly and moderately. The background of the painting is earthy yellow, not bright in color but calm, evoking a sense of antiquity over time.

In the upper right corner are four Chinese characters "Gia tu can tuong" (a recent portrait of my mother). In the lower left corner are written "Nam tu Nguyen Van Tho bai hoa" (son with the name Nam, named Nguyen Van Tho, bows down to paint). At the bottom is the signature "Nguyen Nam Son, Hanoi, 1930".

The painting is about 60 x 95cm in size and was exhibited at the 1931 Paris Colonial Exhibition. Later, it won a silver medal at the Salon des Artistes français, Paris 1932. In 1933, Mr. Sambuc - President of the French Association in Indochina - bought the painting "Portrait of My Mother".

In 2018, the work "Girl Holding a Fan" set a new record for the price of paintings by artist Nguyen Nam Son with a price of up to 440,000 euros (nearly 12 billion VND). Previously, the silk painting "Northern Country Girl" by Nguyen Nam Son also reached the milestone of 205,000 euros (more than 5.7 billion VND).

According to Tuoi Tre