Victor Tardieu, ‘The porters at the port of Genoa’

After graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Victor Tardieu was awarded a scholarship to study in Italy – where he was extensively exposed to classical art, especially large-scale paintings and murals. The oil painting ‘Porters at Port of Genoa’ is a direct result of the strong visual and emotional experiences he had during his time studying in this country.

The port of Genoa – a bustling commercial center – became the ideal setting for him to depict the healthy, strong and authentic working spirit of the European working class in the early 20th century.

The work depicts a group of porters working hard under the midday summer sun, on the shore of the port with the blue sea and boats in the distance.

The highlight is the strong, sweaty bodies, expressed in a classical brushwork combined with delicate lighting, typical of the technique of an academic master.

In particular, the sweaty bare arm of the man waiting for his turn is a typical example of Victor Tardieu’s skillful application of classical lighting and material techniques, bringing a sense of vividness and clear physical depth.

The light in the painting is the standing sunlight at noon, bright yellow, shining on the bodies of the characters and casting clear shadows on the ground, contributing to the hot, heavy, but also powerful atmosphere of working life.

The large size of 128.5×123 cm makes ‘The Porters at the Port of Genoa’ have a special effect when describing the characters’ bodies. The large size is also a correlation when compared to the small-sized oil paintings he later made in Việt Nam.

The work ‘The Porters at the Port of Genoa’ clearly shows the classical academic style that Victor Tardieu inherited from the European school – but at the same time it also shows his deep humanistic feelings for the workers.

This was also an important preparation step for the mural in the lecture hall of the Indochina University (now the Hà Nội National University), completed after he came to Việt Nam in 1920, with a total area of ​​over 90m².

‘The Porters at the Port of Genoa’ is one of Victor Tardieu’s typical works on the theme of labor before coming to Indochina. The work marks the period of perfecting his classical painting techniques and artistic thought. In addition, humanistic thinking and social realism are the consciousness from within his emotions that he will continue to nurture during his last 17 years in Việt Nam in the role of Founder – Principal of Indochina Fine Arts College.

VICTOR TARDIEU (1870–1937)
‘The porters at the port of Genoa’
Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 128,5 × 123 cm
Estimate: 150.000 – 200.000 EUR

The artwork is in the auction on June 1, 2025 at Millon ‘Legends: 100 years from Indochina Fine Arts College’

Contact:
Ta Hsi CHANG
tchang@millon.com
+33 (0) 1 47 27 93 29
Hotline: +84 706 430 688
Email: info@millon-vietnam.com

WRITTEN BY VIET ART VIEW
COPYRIGHTS BELONG TO VIET ART VIEW