8 BILLION VND FOR A RARE SILK PAINTING OF ARTIST VŨ ĐĂNG BỐN

Information from the auction house is as follows:

VŨ ĐĂNG BỐN (ACTIVE IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY)
‘A MONK AND THREE WOMEN’
64.5 × 90.5 CM
THE LABEL AT THE BACK OF THE WORK SHOWS THAT THE FRAME WAS MADE IN HÀ NỘI
PROVENANCE: COLLECTION OF JEAN WALTER
ESTIMATE: 10.000-15.000 EUR
SOLD FOR: 286,000 EUR (TAX INCLUDED)

Basically, there is very little information about artist Vũ Đăng Bốn. Until now, only the following modest information has been found: Vũ Đăng Bốn (1910-?); Born in Hà Nội. According to researcher Phan Cẩm Thượng, Mr. Bốn taught painting at a high school. He graduated from the third class of Indochina Fine Arts College (1927-1932) with Lê Thị Lựu, Trần Quang Trân, Phạm Hữu Khánh…

His works in Việt Nam are very rare. Currently, there is the painting ‘Hậu Giám’, created in 1940, 35 × 45 cm, colored woodcut, was printed in some documents.

This silk painting by Vũ Đăng Bốn is 64.5 × 90.5 cm in dimensions. The painting was probably created in the 1930s, the same time he studied at the college.

In fact, this is a large, valuable painting by an artist whose works are rare. The painting depicts the space inside a pagoda. A monk is reading a passage or notes on a piece of paper; it could be a petition. Three women are sitting, looking respectfully at the monk. In front of them is a tray of betel leaves (lacquered wood). The highlight is the lilies placed in a large blue-glazed vase. Behind the monk are colorful flags. The content of the work takes viewers back to Hà Nội in the early 20th century with its rituals and customs.

It’s that simple, but with a price of 8 billion VND, we also have a few explanations. Similar to the case of artist Nguyễn Văn Thịnh, a student of class IV, a name that is still quite strange, but when his painting was auctioned, it reached an unimaginable high price. Why is there such a ground-breaking price? That is the rarity of the work and the artist. While on the auction block, there are paintings by some artists (famous artists), every aution has those paintings. Therefore, although the price is high, the painting is beautiful but still lacks interest and appeal.

A good painting, both old, valuable, and rare by a rare artist, belonging to the golden age of Vietnamese painting, creates unbelievable prices, becoming interesting references later. What creates those unimaginable things, they lie in the deep collectors with discerning eyes.

From this price, the name Vũ Đăng Bốn will reach a new height. Vũ Đăng Bốn’s works will be prioritized for search. It is also possible that from this push, not long after, we will see more of his works on the market.

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