According to information from her family, Ms. Nguyen Minh Thuy - the prototype of the painting "Em Thuy" - passed away at 6:50 p.m. on July 9, at the age of 90.
Ms. Minh Thuy was born in 1935, the granddaughter of painter Tran Van Can (1910-1994), one of the famous quartet of painters Tri - Van - Lan - Can (Nguyen Gia Tri, To Ngoc Van, Nguyen Tuong Lan, Tran Van Can).
Ms. Minh Thuy, the prototype in the painting "Em Thuy" by famous painter Tran Van Can. Photo: TP
Mrs. Thuy once said that one day in 1943, seeing his granddaughter wearing a pink Ha Dong silk dress, painter Tran Van Can asked his granddaughter to sit on a chair as a model for his drawing. At that time, Nguyen Minh Thuy was 8 years old, studying at the École Brieux primary school for girls in Hang Cot.
The oil painting “Em Thuy” (size 60cmx45cm) depicts a portrait of a little girl with short hair and an innocent face, sitting shyly on a rattan chair, her face facing forward with wide open eyes.
The painting is considered one of the most outstanding works of painter Tran Van Can, and is also one of the typical works of portrait painting in Vietnam in the 20th century.
The work was first introduced at the FARTA (An Nam Art Association) exhibition in Hanoi in 1943. The painting “Em Thuy” later helped the famous painter Tran Van Can win First Prize at the exhibition of the Association for the Advancement of Art (AFIMA), along with the work “Washing Hair.”
Later, due to the war, the family evacuated and the work was lost. In 1964, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum bought the painting from photographer Do Huan's family for 300 dong. At that time, the salary of a newly graduated civil servant was only 64 dong a month.
In addition to the portrait of "Em Thuy," artist Tran Van Can also has another painting of his niece Minh Thuy at the age of 24 (1959).
The painting "Em Thuy" was recognized as a National Treasure. Photo: BTMT
Em Thuy was recognized as a National Treasure in 2013 and is displayed in room 10, oil paintings, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
It is known that Ms. Minh Thuy is the eldest sister in a family of civil servants with 4 siblings living at 23 Hang Cot Street, Hanoi. She was raised in a disciplined environment. She taught home economics at Hanoi Pedagogical College until her retirement. In her old age, she lived with her eldest son Dao Anh Tuan's family in Thanh Xuan, Hanoi.
T.Toan
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nguyen-mau-cua-buc-tranh-em-thuy-qua-doi-post302946.html
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