520. Huynh Phuong Dong (Vietnamese, 1925-2015) In the village signed and dated Huynh Dong 88 (lower right) lacquer on wooden panel signed and dated Huynh Dong 88 (lower right) lacquer on wood panel 60 x 40 cm x 2 Provenance Important French private collection, acquired directly from the artist Huynh Phuong Dong was born in Binh Hoa-Gia Dinh (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1925 and graduated from the Gia Dinh Fine Arts School in 1945. He then joined the army during the First Indochina War (1946-1954). After the victory at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, he continued his studies at the Hanoi Fine Arts College from 1957 to 1963. Over the course of the final three decades of Vietnam's protracted struggle for independence, Huynh Phuong Dong engaged in numerous brutal battles across a range of battlefields during the resistance wars against the French and the Americans. These conflicts resulted in considerable human and material losses, including the sacrifices of his comrades for the sake of national salvation. As a soldier and painter, Huynh Phuong Dong gained renown as a combat artist, chronicling the heroic and tragic moments of war in his sketches. These works have since become invaluable historical treasures. Following the conclusion of the Vietnam War, Huynh Phuong Dong continued to create art that reflected the duality of the conflict and the subsequent period of peace. His post-war works often focused on themes of reconstruction, peace, and the daily lives of the Vietnamese people. He remained an active figure in the art community, dedicating himself to teaching and mentoring young artists whilst continuing to create notable works.