13. HUYNH PHUONG DONG (1925-2015) Temple de Lang Ong Ba Chieu 1987 signé Huynh Dong, daté 87 (en bas à droite) laque et décor or sur bois, en trois panneaux 64 x 122 cm (25 1/4 x 48 in.) HUYNH PHUONG DONG (1925-2015) Lang Ong Ba Chieu Temple 1987 signed Huynh Dong, dated 87 (lower right) lacquer and gilding on wood, in three panels Provenance European private collection, acquired from Gallery Nguyen, Hanoi between 2007-2009 Born in 1925 in Binh Hoa-Gia Dinh (present-day Ho Chi Minh City). After graduating from the Gia Dinh Fine Arts School in 1945, he joined the army for the First Indochina war (1946-1954). After the Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954, he continued his studies at the Hanoi Fine Arts College (1957-1963). Participated in the final thirty years of Vietnam's long struggle for independence. He distinguished himself as a combat artist, creating sketches and drawings of battle scenes. Located not far away from a crowded market in Ho Chi Minh city, Lang Ong Ba Chieu is the ancient tomb of General Le Van Duyet, a high-ranking mandarin of the Nguyen Dynasty, who laid the groundwork for the peace and development of Ho Chi Minh City. The tomb was erected after his death in 1832 to commemorate his significant contributions to the establishment of both the city and locals. In this painting, families and friends in their traditional costumes are enjoying their time in the meadow next to Lang Ong Ba Chieu. Some are gathered under a tree, a mother in a red ao dai walking with her two kids, a man posing for a photo in front of the temples, others simply strolling. Huynh Phuong Dong is well known for his battlefield sketches, where each character, each scene and each battle is rendered in great detail and brings to the viewers a feeling of being present at the places where the events are taking place. This painting was created in 1987, one year after Vietnam opened up to the world, with a series of economic and political reforms. The artist chose this very significant childhood place to depict with elegance and finesse a Vietnam in the time of peace, populated by people with great love and hope for their country. Here the vibrant traditional lacquer red applied underneath the gilding doesn't represent the violence, instead it gives a warm feel to the gold and enhances the whole picture with the loose brushstrokes.