Recently, someone in Nha Trang City posted on Facebook looking for someone to paint portraits. It suddenly occurred to me that the profession of portrait painting in this coastal city has almost fallen into oblivion.
According to elders, in the years before the country's liberation, portrait painting was quite developed in Nha Trang. During the war and turmoil, many people died without leaving behind portraits for their loved ones, so many families had to ask artists to "recreate" portraits of their relatives for worship or to preserve their images for future generations. Famous portrait painting shops included: Sang, Vietnam (Doc Lap Street, now Thong Nhat Street), Hoan Kiem (Nguyen Hoang Street, now Ngo Gia Tu Street)... In the 1960s and 70s, many families still often brought old photos of their relatives to artists to have them repainted for ancestral worship. Even many living people commissioned portraits from artists because they loved the soulful black and white colors of the paintings. “Back then, portrait painting shops were very popular. Besides customers from Nha Trang, people from Cam Ranh, Ninh Hoa, Tuy Hoa, Phan Rang... also frequently came to these shops to commission portraits. People preferred portraits because they lasted longer than photographs, had a timeless quality, and didn't fade or smudge in humid climates,” artist Le Vu recalled.
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| Painting of General Vo Nguyen Giap by Bui Anh An. |
Twenty years ago, when I first arrived in Nha Trang, there were still a few art shops that offered portrait painting services, such as Le Tinh (on Le Thanh Phuong Street) and Sao Hoa (on Thong Nhat Street)... Back then, I used to frequent these shops to watch the artists paint portraits. The tools for painting were quite simple (charcoal powder, brushes, a few brushes made from toothpick tips, incense sticks, etc.), but the portraits in the traditional style were very soulful. There are two types of traditional portrait painting: reproducing a photograph and painting based on the client's description. Regardless of the style, it requires the artist to be extremely patient and diligent to capture the essence of the person being painted. I remember once an elderly woman from Ninh Hoa commissioned artist Pham Sanh (now deceased), the owner of Sao Hoa art shop, to paint a portrait of her deceased husband, but she didn't have a photograph. She brought a photograph of her son and added striking details about her husband so he could paint the portrait for her to keep as a memorial. After several revisions, one day she exclaimed, "This is my husband!" and hugged the painting, bursting into tears... Time has worn away everything. Artists skilled in portrait painting in Nha Trang, such as Le Tinh and Pham Sanh, gradually retired and passed away quietly.
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| Some portrait paintings were created by artist Le Vu. |
Currently in Nha Trang, it seems that only artist Le Vu knows how to paint realistic portraits. However, due to his artistic nature, he rarely stays at home and usually lives in Truong Son Craft Village. A few years ago, I visited his home. This talented artist showed me some of his realistic portraits of the poet Nguyen Khuyen, the revolutionary Nguyen Thai Hoc, the famous singer Elvis Presley, and the actress Marilyn Monroe... All of them perfectly capture the essence of the subjects, making it impossible for viewers to look away. According to artist Le Vu, to be able to paint realistic portraits, one must learn the craft for at least several years, and to become proficient, it takes a lifetime of practice. Because when painting realistic portraits, besides resembling the model, the artist must also convey the character's essence, hence the name "realistic portrait." Typically, a simple portrait takes an artist a day to complete, while more complex ones can take several days. "Sometimes clients just give me a tiny family photo and ask me to use it to draw a portrait of one person. Some don't even have a sample photo; they just tell me from memory, and I draw and gradually refine it, sometimes several times before the client is satisfied," said artist Le Vu.
Nothing lasts forever! In the past, people would often seek out portrait painters to recreate the likeness of the deceased. Now, with Photoshop technology, a photograph can be reproduced quickly and at a much lower cost. The art of portrait painting is naturally falling into oblivion… Knowing this, one can't help but feel a sense of sadness and regret for this cultural tradition.
THANH NGUYEN
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/nhung-vung-ky-uc/202408/con-ai-ve-tranh-truyen-than-7cd248f/
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