Valuable documents of the resistance days | QUANG NAM ONLINE NEWSPAPER

During the years of resistance in the battlefield of Zone 5, painter Nguyen The Vinh fought with a sharp pen and strokes, taking the mission of serving the Fatherland and the happiness of the People as inspiration and creative subject.

Lacquer painting "This land belongs to our ancestors" by artist Nguyen The Vinh - work won the State Prize for Literature and Arts, Phase II.

Heroic strokes

Painter Nguyen The Vinh (Nguyen Vinh Nguyen) is from Quang Ngai. He graduated from To Ngoc Van Course in 1955 - 1957 and Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1965. After graduating from the University of Fine Arts, he went to battlefield B, worked in the Literature and Arts Subcommittee of the Propaganda Department of Zone 5, served as Party Cell Secretary, Standing Committee Member of the Central Central Region Literature and Arts Association, and Member of the Literature and Arts Party Delegation of Zone 5 from 1965 until the day of national liberation.

Artist Nguyen The Vinh's works won second prize at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in 1960; the Fine Arts Exhibition Prize on the theme of armed forces and revolutionary war in 1984; and the Quang Nam - Da Nang Literature and Arts Award in 1982. In 2007, his works "Cultural supplementary class" (wood carving - created in 1960); "This land belongs to the ancestors" (lacquer - 1970); "War and coconut trees" (lacquer - 1990); "Making rice in the Central Highlands" (lacquer - 1996) were awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts, Phase II.

Nguyen The Vinh is a painter who lived and fought in the southern battlefields for many years, specializing in lacquer paintings. His paintings use many areas and strokes in shaping, with a realistic, simple and emotional style. He also created many woodcuts of high artistic quality.

His comrades recounted that he was a man who was resistant to bombs and bullets, no matter where the fiercest place was, he would go. He went to the field from the plains to the highlands; fierce areas such as Dong Thang Binh, Dai Loc, Dien Ban, Hiep Duc, Hoi An... ( Quang Nam ) to Sa Huynh Quang Ngai, to Hoai Nhon Binh Dinh, all had his footprints. In addition to the K54, he also had a lot of paper, paint, and brushes. Every time he returned from the battlefield, he had paintings to show his comrades. He always respected, cared for, and meticulously crafted each of his works. Then he chose a place to hang the paintings, even if it was just a small space in the old forest for the soldiers and guerrillas to see, or in a place where the people were staying...

“Hoi An Ferry” in watercolor, April 1975 by artist Nguyen The Vinh.

At the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, many works by the artist are preserved, such as the lacquer painting "This land belongs to our ancestors" completed by artist Nguyen The Vinh in 1970. The painting depicts the silence after the battle. Four characters, one lighting a cigarette, one leaning against a tree, one cleaning a gun... are always ready to fight. A simple altar with a temporary roof built on the foundation of a house destroyed by bombs and bullets is placed in the center of the painting, expressing the honor of the sacred values of the origin and the beauty of Vietnamese culture. The painting with hot colors depicts the smoke and fire of bombs and bullets, evoking the fierceness of the ongoing war. The scene of the countryside during the war appears desolate and desolate. In addition to the four main characters, the image of two chickens is a detail that closely connects the composition of the painting. Architect Nguyen The Hung, son of the late painter Nguyen The Vinh, shared: “This is the moment of rest for the guerrilla soldiers after the battle. On the homeland devastated by bombs and bullets, the soldiers still set up tents to keep the ancestral altar with the flickering light of oil lamps...; chickens were raised to increase production and provide food for the soldiers”. Under the talented hands of the painter, the painting “This land belongs to our ancestors” is a strong affirmation of the inviolable sovereignty of the nation, the determination to preserve every inch of the land of our ancestors of the Vietnamese army and people.

Or two sketches "Guerrillas in the East", "Binh Duong - Thang Binh" drawn by artist Nguyen The Vinh during the fierce days in the sand area of Thang Binh. These two sketches were used by the Vietnam Writers Association as the covers for two books "Mother's Garden" and "Binh Duong, the heroic land" drawn by the late artist in 1968. During the 9 years in Zone 5 (1967 - 1975), he drew hundreds of sketches, drawing scenes of people clinging to life, villages burned and devastated by the enemy, female guerrillas from Quang Da, coastal guerrillas, mountain guerrillas, ethnic women from the highlands, soldiers of the liberation army... The image of Dien Tho in the drawing with the slogan "Heavy resentment, deep hatred, women take the lead in destroying the Americans" became the slogan of action, the motto for fighting the Americans of the women's force at that time... In particular, he also had a drawing about the historic days of April, at the Hoi An ferry in 1975, on the wharf and under the boats bustling with joy on the day of total victory...

Private love kept

I was fortunate to have architect Nguyen The Hung share many of his memories with the resistance artists, including the artist - martyr Ha Xuan Phong. He showed me many wartime letters from his parents, including the letter written by artist Nguyen The Vinh on March 6, 1967, while at Tra My base, to his beloved wife and children in the North, asking to share to understand a corner of history even though it was more than 50 years ago.

Dear Snow!

The image of you and my child will never be forgotten. You took me all the way to the bus station, you cried so much, everyone around must have found it strange. Actually, I cried a lot too, but I tried to hold back my tears and advise you, suppressing my heart to separate you and the child - I left, left without daring to look back, left with heavy steps, my chest seemed higher and it was hard to breathe, my heart was indescribably filled with emotion and I had lost something serious.

You and I will not get anything, but only “PEACE and HAPPINESS”. You know that and I know that, but the feelings between husband and wife when we are apart and will be apart for a long time, who wouldn’t feel sad and cry! During the Tet holidays working in the remote areas of Quang Nam province, we happily celebrated Tet with our fellow countrymen, but these days are also the days we miss you and our children…

Here he was loved and protected by his people.

There is nothing better than literature and art to express the feelings of the people and display those paintings for the people to see, the mothers and sisters love me very much. I also do not forget to report to you that during my time working in the remote areas of Quang Ngai and Quang Nam, I drew some sketches with water colors. The characters in the paintings are the guerrillas, the sisters and mothers who fought and produced, I love them very much, the number of paintings has been displayed in one room, my dear, and during Tet I have displayed them in 5 locations...".

Painter Nguyen The Vinh went to the South, leaving behind his young wife and children; Nguyen The Hanh, also known as Nguyen The Ha - the second son, heard the sacred call of the Fatherland, and went to the South to fight. In 1970, he was in the Liberation Youth Propaganda Army, hearing that his comrades were ambushed, he led some brothers to the rescue, but unexpectedly he himself was ambushed. Hearing the bad news, painter Nguyen The Vinh came down from the mountain to find his son. And with his own hands, he wrapped his son in a piece of nylon and buried him...

Architect Nguyen The Hung told me the story of how he met painter Ha Xuan Phong, that was in 1973 when he went to the North, this painter lived with his father at the Reunification Committee. Ha Xuan Phong took him out, pampered him, took care of him, when he heard the news that his father's comrades had died, he cried all the time, he always remembered the gentle face, full of life...

The talented soldier and painter Ha Xuan Phong died on November 17, 1974 during a business trip while crossing the Tra No River, leaving behind hundreds of battlefield sketches. And these sketches were entrusted to painter Nguyen The Vinh. He carefully preserved and protected them, until 1989, painter Nguyen The Vinh handed over the sketches of painter Ha Xuan Phong to the Literature and Arts Association of Quang Nam - Da Nang province. Then this precious document was passed down to future generations, still filled with heroic years, still hearing the echoes of the country, the whole nation shared a single goal - a peaceful country.

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