Kim Van Kieu painting

INFORMATION ABOUT THE FARMING PAINTING Material: Engraved lacquer - Size: 82 x 102 cm Adapted from the Hang Trong folk painting The painting illustrates scenes such as: Kieu following Ma Giam Sinh after leaving her parents' home, Kieu and Tu Hai repaying kindness and seeking revenge, Tu Hai becoming the leader of the region where Kieu lives, Kim, Van, and Kieu reuniting and living happily and peacefully together. From left to right, there are four scenes (four panels) as follows: Painting 1: Top: Kieu sells herself to Ma Giam Sinh to redeem her father from prison. He takes Kieu to Lam Tri and hands her over to Tu Ba, the owner of the brothel. The painting illustrates Kieu following Ma Giam Sinh after leaving her parents' home. The accompanying poem reads: "The wind roars, urging the Qin clouds / A carriage in the mortal world flies like a bird." In this section, from right to left, there are: Ma Giam Sinh riding a horse, followed by a servant holding an umbrella. Kieu sitting in a carriage pulled by a servant and another servant holding an umbrella. Below: Kieu and Tu Hai repaying kindness and seeking revenge. Caption for the poem: "After repaying kindness, I will seek revenge." Tu Hai says: "I leave that matter to you." Picture 2: Tu Hai becomes the leader of the region where Kieu lives. He orders the palace maids to find and bring Kieu back to the palace. Caption for the picture above: "The palace maids follow, saying: 'Obeying orders, I will escort you to the wedding.' Raising the banners and firing the cannons, Tu Hai personally comes out on horseback to welcome her at the outer gate." We can see Tu Hai on the right riding a horse, Kieu on the left in a carriage pulled by a maid, and behind her a maid holding a palanquin. Below: At the end of the story, Kim, Van, and Kieu reunite. Kim sits behind reading or reciting poetry, Kieu sits on the right playing the zither, and Van on the left is looking after their two children. On the table are various auspicious ornaments and three cups of wine placed on a tray. Caption for the poem: "Slowly sipping chrysanthemum wine, getting drunk. Standing up, Van then explains a few things." Picture 3: Upper part: The first meeting of Thuy Kieu and Tu Hai. After her relationship with Thúc Sinh ended, Kiều married a man named Bạc Sinh. This man took her to the Thai region and sold her to a brothel. One day, Từ Hải visited the brothel for pleasure, met Kiều, and fell deeply in love with her. (The following text appears to be a separate scene from a different context: "The first meeting of Kim and Kiều on the Thanh Minh festival. On the left, Thúy Kiều and Thúy Vân are hidden among a cluster of flowers, and on the right is a bridge illustrated by two lines of poetry: 'Under the clear flowing water, by the bridge, the willow branches sway gracefully in the evening light.' Below the two Kiềus, on the left is Vương Quan, with a young servant behind him; on the right is Kim riding a horse, with a young servant holding a fan to shield him.") The familiar face of the King greeted the two Kieu sisters, who shyly hid behind the flowers. Below: The blossoming romance between Kieu and So Khanh. Kieu is inside the house, on the left, So Khanh on the right holding a fan with the words "tich viet" (meaning "profound and glorious"). On the screen is a poem: "If the beautiful maiden knew the hero, he would easily break free from her cage."