A new school of painting and sculpture: the Annamese school
At the new pavillon of the Fine Arts School, 102 Reinach Street, will open tomorrow, Friday November 15, at 10.30 a.m, in presence of Mr Pierre Pasquier, Governor General of Indochina, a painting and sculpture exhibition with works made by the school students during their holidays, that is outside the direct influence of their teachers... They learn from their teachers a strict observation of the truth. And asthey know how to observe, as soon as they turn to Asian models, they deeply feel what makes the difference between Far-Eastern plastic arts and the others. They see the soul. Their brushpen, which has become, through long work, a docile interpreter of their feelings, translates nuances. They restore to us Asia... Let us study in going into the hall, on our left, the extremely interesting succession of works by Mr Le Pho, 5th year student, Thinh, 2nd year, To Ngoc Van, 4th year, Nguyen Phan Chanh, 6th year, Khanh, 2nd year, Hoa The, 3nd year, Le Van De, 5th year, Ngoc, 2nd year, Le Pho, already mentioned, Tong, 4th year, Lan Khai, Tuong, Dau, Phenh, Tran, Hoa The, already mentioned,Coc, Lang.
Finally, a very interesting picture by Miss Le Thi Luu, 3nd year, representing children around a bananatree. That is, I believe, the only canvas that shows a small child with his big belley full of rice. And how charming it is when the painter of this child is a young woman. A very affectionate feeling for childhood is to be found in this painting. The second portrait is of his grand uncle, painted with such a gallantry that one has to think of Reynolds... Mr Thuc, sculptor, Lai, 4th year, Mai Trung Thu, 5th year. Sculptors: Georges Khanh, 5th year, Vu Cao Dam, Phuc.
... Under the eminent and skillful leadership of Mr. Tardieu , the study of our classic authors has allowed those sleeping talents to awaken and to live not an European life , but a mordern Asian one . This painting school that can be called right now the Annamese School will enrich the Far - East with works adapted to the sensibility of the 20th century Annamese .
Yvonne Schults (L'Avenir du Tonkin)
Article reproduced in the supplementary part in French of Nam Phong , issue No.145 , Hanoi , December 1929 , pp.48-50.