Tu Nghiem Nguyen Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Tu Nghiem Nguyen Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 02, 2024
The Year of the Ox, 97 by Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016), 21.5 x 27 cm, Gouache on paper
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
The Year of the Ox, 97 by Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016), 21.5 x 27 cm, Gouache on paper
Cadmore Auctions
Nov. 02, 2024
Mid-Autumn Festival by Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016), 52 x 68 cm, Gouache on paper
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
Mid-Autumn Festival by Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016), 52 x 68 cm, Gouache on paper
Cadmore Auctions
Nov. 02, 2024
The Ancient Dance by Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016), 40 x 69 cm, Gouache on Paper
Est: $18,000 - $20,000
The Ancient Dance by Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016), 40 x 69 cm, Gouache on Paper
Cadmore Auctions
Aug. 24, 2024
VIETNAMESE ATTR TO NGUYEN TO NGHIEM LACQUER PAINTING
Est: $100 - $150
A Vietnamese lacquer painting on metal attributed to Nguyen To Nghiem, 1922 to 2016. The artwork depicts two musicians, a woman and a man, playing musical instruments. Housed in a carved lush frame. Nguyen To Nghiem was a Vietnamese lacquer artist, the last of the founding fathers of contemporary Vietnamese fine art. In 1996, he was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Fine Arts. Collectible Mid Century Asian Oriental Fine Art.
Antique Arena Inc
May. 29, 2024
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1918-2016) Ancient Dance lacquer on panel 50 x 80 cm. (19
Est: $120,000 - $180,000
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1918-2016) Ancient Dance lacquer on panel 50 x 80 cm. (19 5⁄8 x 31 1⁄2 in.)
Christie's
May. 19, 2024
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. 1922 - 2016) Thanh Giong, 1990
Est: RM15,000 - RM25,000
Folk heroes, often fictional and mythological, never die no matter how ridiculously endowed with gargantuan powers. Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Pocahontas, Ned Kelly... we have more than our fair share. In Vietnam, there's Thanh Giong, memorialized with an equestrian monument in Ho Chi Minh City and a bronze version in Hanoi's Soc Son Giong Temple perched on the Da Chong mountain, where an annual celebration lasting 12 days is held in his honour. Giong is sometimes referred to as Phu Dong Thien Vuong, the holy king of the sky. The legend stemmed from the tale of a three-year-old boy who almost overnight grew in physique and stature and armed with only a longsword, rode on an iron horse to Van Lang Kingdom to ward off the Han Chinese northern invaders, or in another version slayed the rival king of An. Another version has Thanh Giong as an incarnation of Vaisravana or Kubera. The deity and the festival are both recognised by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage. A modern Thanh Giong can be found in Vo Nguyen Gap and Ho Chi Min who led Vietnam to defeat first the French, at Dien Bien Phu, and then the Americans in the protracted Vietnam War, respectively. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered as one of the Great Quartet of Vietnamese Art, the others in his generation being Bui Xuan Phai, Duong Bich Lien and Nguyen Sang. He was in the 15th intake of the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, then under Joseph Inguimberty. Like Phai, he won the highly coveted Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, after the 1st Prize in the Salon Unique in 1944. In his early years, he was inspired by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. He is remembered for his revolutionary zeal against the French invaders in the early 1950s, and even taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University. As the last surviving of the quartet, he exerted greater influence with his art.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 19, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Cavalier sur son cheval
Est: €1,200 - €2,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Cavalier sur son cheval 1990 signé et daté nge 90 (en bas à droite) encre et gouache sur papier signed and dated nge 90 (lower right) ink and gouache on paper 24.6 x 23.5 cm (9 5/8 x 9 1/4 in)
Bonhams
Dec. 19, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Sans titre
Est: €2,000 - €4,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Sans titre 2008 signé et daté nge 2008 (en bas à droite) encre et gouache sur papier signed and dated nge 2008 (lower right) ink and gouache on paper 38.1 x 53.3 cm (15 x 21 in)
Bonhams
Oct. 04, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) The Tale of Kieu - Kieu and Kim Troung
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) The Tale of Kieu - Kieu and Kim Troung 1981 signed and dated nge 81 (lower right) gouache on paper 68.5 x 39.5 cm (27 x 15 1/2 in.)
Bonhams
Oct. 04, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Roosters
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Roosters 2005 signed and dated nge 2005 (lower right) gouache on paper 53.5 x 78.5 cm (21 1/8 x 30 7/8 in)
Bonhams
Sep. 14, 2023
Lacquered Panel, Nguyen Tu Nghiem
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016), "Year of the Goat," 1967, lacquered panel, signed and dated lower left, panel (unframed): 27.5"h x 39.5"w
Clars Auctions
Sep. 14, 2023
Work on Paper, Nguyen Tu Nghiem
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016), Ancient Dance, 1982, gouache on paper, signed and dated lower left, sheet (unframed): 16.75"h x 21.75"w
Clars Auctions
Sep. 14, 2023
Work on Paper, Nguyen Tu Nghiem
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016), Ancient Dance, 1986, gouache on paper, signed and dated upper left, sheet (unframed): 17.5"h x 23.25"w
Clars Auctions
Aug. 11, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) - Ancient Dance
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) - Ancient Dance, gouache on paper, signed and dated 1987, 15"h. x 21"w. Provenance: Purchased in the late 1990s from a prominent Hanoi gallery.
Clars Auctions
Aug. 11, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1919-2016) - Ancient Dance
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1919-2016) - Ancient Dance, gouache on paper, signed and dated 1989, 15.5"h. x 21"w. Provenance: Purchased in the late 1990s from a prominent Hanoi gallery.
Clars Auctions
May. 27, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) Quý Sửu 73 (Year of the Ox)
Est: $60,000 - $100,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) Quý Sửu 73 (Year of the Ox) 1973 signed and dated 73, and titled Quý Sửu 73 gouache on paper 52.5 x 64 cm (20 11/16 x 25 3/16 in)
Bonhams
Feb. 10, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Year of the Tiger, 1998
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Year of the Tiger, 1998 gouache on newspaper initialed and dated (lower right); titled and dated (center left) 15 7/8 x 12 inches. This lot is located in Chicago. Property from the Collection of Raquelle Azran Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist by current owner
Hindman
Feb. 10, 2023
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Cats, 1986
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Cats, 1986 watercolor and pastel on paper signed Nghiem (lower left); initialed and dated (lower right) 14 1/2 x 21 1/2 inches. This lot is located in Chicago. Property from the Collection of Raquelle Azran Provenance: Purchased directly from the artist by current owner
Hindman
Feb. 09, 2023
Lacquer, Nguyen Tu Nghiem
Est: $20,000 - $40,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016), "Ancient Dance," 1987, lacquer on panel, initialed and dated upper left, panel (unframed): 27.75"h x 43.25"w. Note: Purchased in the late 1990s from a prominent Hanoi gallery.
Clars Auctions
Dec. 14, 2022
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Coq
Est: €1,000 - €1,500
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Coq gouache sur papier 15 x 19.5 cm (5 7/8 x 7 5/8 in.)
Bonhams
Nov. 28, 2022
NGUYEN TU NGHIÊM (1919/22-2016) Tête de garçon avec fleurs, 1970
Est: €5,000 - €6,000
*19 - NGUYEN TU NGHIÊM (1919/22-2016) Tête de garçon avec fleurs, 1970 Gouache sur papier, signée et datée en bas à droite, dédicacée en 1997 au dos 39.4 x 31.5 cm - 15 1/2 x 12 3/8 in. Gouache on paper, signed and dated lower right Provenance Collection privée Suisse, acquise en 1997 directement auprès de l'artiste et transmis familialement depuis"
Aguttes
Nov. 28, 2022
NGUYEN TU NGHIÊM (1919/22-2016) L'homme et le tigre, 1974
Est: €5,000 - €6,000
*18 - NGUYEN TU NGHIÊM (1919/22-2016) L'homme et le tigre, 1974 Gouache sur papier, signée et datée en bas au centre, titrée au dos 38.5 x 51 cm - 15 1/8 x 20 1/8 in. Gouache on paper, signed and dated lower middle, titled on reverse Provenance Collection privée Suisse, acquise en 1993 directement auprès de l'artiste et transmis familialement depuis"
Aguttes
Nov. 28, 2022
NGUYEN TU NGHIÊM (1919/22-2016) Thanh Giong, 1969
Est: €6,000 - €8,000
*17 - NGUYEN TU NGHIÊM (1919/22-2016) Thanh Giong, 1969 Technique mixte sur papier, signée et datée en bas à gauche 53 x 66,5 cm - 20 7/8 x 26 1/8 in. Mixed media on paper, signed and dated lower left Provenance Collection privée Suisse, acquise en 1993 directement auprès de l'artiste et transmis familialement depuis"
Aguttes
Nov. 20, 2022
Lacquer, Nguyen Tu Nghiem
Est: $20,000 - $40,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016), "Ancient Dance," 1987, lacquer on panel, initialed and dated upper left, panel (unframed): 27.75"h x 43.25"w. Note: Purchased in the late 1990s from a prominent Hanoi gallery.
Clars Auctions
Nov. 06, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 - 2016) Thanh Giong, 1990
Est: RM18,000 - RM30,000
Folk heroes, often fictional and mythological, never die no matter how ridiculously endowed with gargantuan powers. Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Pocahontas, Ned Kellyâ¦ we have more than our fair share. In Vietnam, there's Thanh Giong, memorialized with an equestrian monument in Ho Chi Minh City and a bronze version in Hanoi's Soc Son Giong Temple perched on the Da Chong mountain, where an annual celebration lasting 12 days is held in his honour. Giong is sometimes referred to as Phu Dong Thien Vuong, the holy king of the sky. The legend stemmed from the tale of a three-year-old boy who almost overnight grew in physique and stature and armed with only a longsword, rode on an iron horse to Van Lang Kingdom to ward off the Han Chinese northern invaders, or in another version slayed the rival king of An. Another version has Thanh Giong as an incarnation of Vaisravana or Kubera. The deity and the festival are both recognised by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage. A modern Thanh Giong can be found in Vo Nguyen Gap and Ho Chi Min who led Vietnam to defeat first the French, at Dien Bien Phu, and then the Americans in the protracted Vietnam War, respectively. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered as one of the Great Quartet of Vietnamese Art, the others in his generation being Bui Xuan Phai, Duong Bich Lien and Nguyen Sang. He was in the 15th intake of the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, then under Joseph Inguimberty. Like Phai, he won the highly coveted Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, after the 1st Prize in the Salon Unique in 1944. In his early years, he was inspired by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. He is remembered for his revolutionary zeal against the French invaders in the early 1950s, and even taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University. As the last surviving of the quartet, he exerted greater influence with his art.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 17, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – 2016) Year Of The Dragon, 1988
Est: RM20,000 - RM30,000
Chinese beliefs and tradition, adopted and adapted into Vietnam, loom largely in the art of Nguyen Tu Nghiem, which were sometimes reduced to sketches. The dragon dance, Mua Rong, a later adaptation, around 1944-1945, is animated during the Tet, the start of the nine-day Vietnamese new year which is similar to the Chinese. The dragon is a powerful mythical creature which is a harbinger of wealth as it controls water, floods and hurricanes. Here perhaps, Mr Dia (Ong Dia), the Vietnamese spirit of good luck, has morphed into a winsome maitreya goddess commandeering the dragon’s movements. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered as one of the Great Quartet of Vietnamese Art, the others in his generation being Bui Xuan Phai, Duong Bich Lien and Nguyen Sang. He was in the 15th intake of the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, then under Joseph Inguimberty. Like Phai, he won the highly coveted Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, after the 1st Prize in the Salon Unique in 1944. In his early years, he was inspired by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. He is remembered for his revolutionary zeal against the French invaders in the early 1950s, and even taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University. As the last surviving of the quartet, he exerted greater influence with his art.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 17, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – 2016) Thanh Giong, 1990
Est: RM20,000 - RM35,000
Folk heroes, often fictional and mythological, never die no matter how ridiculously endowed with gargantuan powers. Joan of Arc, Spartacus, Pocahontas, Ned Kelly… we have more than our fair share. In Vietnam, there’s Thanh Giong, memorialized with an equestrian monument in Ho Chi Minh City and a bronze version in Hanoi’s Soc Son Giong Temple perched on the Da Chong mountain, where an annual celebration lasting 12 days is held in his honour. Giong is sometimes referred to as Phu Dong Thien Vuong, the holy king of the sky. The legend stemmed from the tale of a three-year-old boy who almost overnight grew in physique and stature and armed with only a longsword, rode on an iron horse to Van Lang Kingdom to ward off the Han Chinese northern invaders, or in another version slayed the rival king of An. Another version has Thanh Giong as an incarnation of Vaisravana or Kubera. The deity and the festival are both recognised by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage. A modern ‘Thanh Giong’ can be found in Vo Nguyen Gap and Ho Chi Min who led Vietnam to defeat first the French, at Dien Bien Phu, and then the Americans in the protracted Vietnam War, respectively. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered as one of the Great Quartet of Vietnamese Art, the others in his generation being Bui Xuan Phai, Duong Bich Lien and Nguyen Sang. He was in the 15th intake of the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, then under Joseph Inguimberty. Like Phai, he won the highly coveted Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, after the 1st Prize in the Salon Unique in 1944. In his early years, he was inspired by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. He is remembered for his revolutionary zeal against the French invaders in the early 1950s, and even taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University. As the last surviving of the quartet, he exerted greater influence with his art.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jul. 14, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Traditional Dance, 1968
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Traditional Dance, 1968 gouache on paper signed and dated upper left 15 x 26 5/8 inches
Hindman
Jul. 14, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Saint Giong, 1974
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1918-2016) Saint Giong, 1974 watercolor on paper signed and dated upper right 21 2/3 x 25 2/3 inches
Hindman
May. 28, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) Year of the Tiger
Est: $80,000 - $220,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) Year of the Tiger 1974 signed and dated 74 gouache on paper 43.2 by 53.7 cm. 17 by 21 1/8 in. For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
May. 27, 2022
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Souvenir du passé (Souvenir of The Past) lacqu
Est: $180,000 - $250,000
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Souvenir du passé (Souvenir of The Past) lacquer on panel 80 x 120 cm. (31 1/2 x 47 1/4 in.)
Christie's
Mar. 27, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – 2016) Dance, 1968
Est: RM23,000 - RM38,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem was known for his innovations in lacquer painting – an artistic medium practiced by Vietnamese artists since the 1930s. His distinctive works combined folklore and paeans of the countryside and ancient dance with the contemporary. Nghiem’s work vividly demonstrates the kinship and past histories between traditional Vietnamese culture and the spirit of western modernism. The dance gestures were greatly influenced by dinh sculpture, with the figures interlocked in motion, seamlessly unified as one entity. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered in Vietnamese art as among the great quartet, with the others being Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai, whom he studied together at the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, the 15th intake under Joseph Inguimberty, To Ngoc Van and Nam Son, and his graduating was delayed when the Japanese ousted the French in March 1945. Like Phai, he won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, but for the politically persecuted Phai, it was posthumous. He was the last of the quartet to have died, in 2016 (June 15) in Hanoi. Influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van, he won 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944 for his Literature Temple Guard. He took part in the anti-French resistance war and land reforms in the early 1950s, and also taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Mar. 27, 2022
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – 2016) Art Class, 1969
Est: RM40,000 - RM60,000
Taking inspiration from the folklore and romantic landscapes of Vietnam, Nguyen Tu Nghiem shaped the artistic and spiritual ideals of local culture, creating a new expression of modern Vietnamese art. He adopted the style of Dong Ho folk paintings utilising the defining characteristic of lines to portray scenes from everyday life. The captivating image of a group of children inside the art class engaged in the act of drawing and craft making is encapsulated by the playful interplay of forms and subtle colours. Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore with the contemporary in his lacquer works, incorporating ancient dance and Vietnamese zodiac signs, and paeans of the countryside. He won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996. He was very much influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. His literature Temple Guard won the 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944. He took part in the anti-French Resistance war and the land reforms in 1953. He taught at the Hanoi Fine Arts University from 1959-1960, and also the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – d. 2016) Art Class, 1988
Est: RM25,000 - RM35,000
Taking inspiration from the folkflore and romantic landscapes of Vietnam, Nguyen Tu Nghiem shaped the artistic and spiritual ideals of local culture, creating a new expression of modern Vietnamese art. He adopted the style of Dong Ho folk paintings utilising the defining characteristic of lines to portray scenes from everyday life. The captivating image of a group of people and children engaged in the act of drawing and craft making is encapsulated by the playful interplay of forms and subtle colours. Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore with the contemporary in his lacquer works, incorporating ancient dance and Vietnamese zodiac signs, and paeans of the countryside. He won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996. He was very much influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. His literature Temple Guard won the 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944. He took part in the anti-French Resistance war and the land reforms in 1953. He taught at the Hanoi Fine Arts University from 1959-1960, and also the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Dec. 05, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – d. 2016) Year Of The Monkey, 1980
Est: RM25,000 - RM35,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem is often referred to as the great Vietnamese quartet of Nghiem-Lien-Sang-Phai, the other three being Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai, whom he studied together at the Indo-China Fine Arts College in 1941-1946. This work featuring the monkey zodiac combines animated lines reduced to its essential form in warm sumptuous colours of magenta and yellow. Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore with the contemporary in his lacquer works, incorporating ancient dance and Vietnamese zodiac signs, and paeans of the countryside. He won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996. He was very much influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. His literature Temple Guard won the 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944. He took part in the anti-French Resistance war and the land reforms in 1953. He taught at the Hanoi Fine Arts University from 1959-1960, and also the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Oct. 12, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese b. 1922), The year of the dragon
Est: £800 - £1,200
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese b. 1922)The year of the dragonGouache on paperSigned with initials and dated 88 and 95 (lower left)54 x 76cm (21¼ x 29¾ in.)Provenance:Private Collection Hong Kong (acquired directly from the artist)Sale, Christie's, Hong Kong, 27 October 2002, lot 53
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Aug. 22, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 - d. 2016) Year Of The Goat, 1991
Est: RM10,000 - RM18,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem is known for his innovations in lacquer painting, a Vietnamese staple, and among his repertoire is the depiction of Chinese (also Vietnamese) lunar zodiac animals. Significantly, this painting was done in 1991, the Year of the Goat, and Nghiem himself had confided that he was a goat, being born in 1919 instead of his universally recorded birthyear of 1922, the Year of the Dog. The goat is the eighth zodiac animal known for its mild moderate temperament, and is humble, hardworking and determined. Some even put his year of birth as 1918, the Year of the Horse. There is an apparent affinity for goats in this work, shown in pair and with a kid in tow. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered in Vietnamese art as among the great quartet, with the others being Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai, whom he studied together at the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, the 15th intake under Joseph Inguimberty, To Ngoc Van and Nam Son, and his graduating was delayed when the Japanese ousted the French in March 1945. Like Phai, he won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, but for the politically persecuted Phai, it was posthumous. He was last of the quartet to have died, in 2016 (June 15) in Hanoi. Influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van, he won 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944 for his Literature Temple Guard. He took part in the anti-French resistance war and land reforms in the early 1950s, and also taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Aug. 22, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 - d. 2016) Year Of The Rooster, 1981
Est: RM12,000 - RM20,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem liked to depict animals of the Chinese zodiac, among other themes. Here, the rooster reigns supreme as the epitomal Chanticleer, with its rainbow plumage and attractive red coxcomb. The rooster, for all its morning bugle call in days of agrarian economy and symbol of male libido, is also vain, and that can prove its downfall. Other times, Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore and paeans of the countryside and ancient dance with the contemporary. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is revered in Vietnamese art as among the great quartet, with the others being Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai, whom he studied together at the Indo-China Fine Arts College between 1941-1946, the 15th intake under Joseph Inguimberty, To Ngoc Van and Nam Son, and his graduating was delayed when the Japanese ousted the French in March 1945. Like Phai, he won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996, but for the politically persecuted Phai, it was posthumous. He was last of the quartet to have died, in 2016 (June 15) in Hanoi. Influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van, he won 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944 for his Literature Temple Guard. He took part in the anti-French resistance war and land reforms in the early 1950s, and also taught art at the Viet Bac revolution base. He also taught at his alma mater and the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Jun. 30, 2021
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Kim van Kieû lacquer on panel 64.5 x 47 cm. (2
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Kim van Kieû lacquer on panel 64.5 x 47 cm. (25 3/8 x 18 1/4 in.)
Christie's
Apr. 22, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1919-2016) Thanh Giong on his horse
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1919-2016) Thanh Giong on his horse 1974 signed and dated 74 pastel on paper 32.5 by 30 cm. 12 6/8 by 11 6/8 in. For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Apr. 22, 2021
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1919-2016) Cats
Est: $40,000 - $50,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1919-2016) Cats 1999 signed, titled Tết Kỷ Mão and dated 99 gouache on paper 39 by 49 cm. 15 3/8 by 19 2/8 in. For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Dec. 03, 2020
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Ancient Dance lacquer on panel 82 x 164 cm. (3
Est: $180,000 - $280,000
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (1922-2016) Ancient Dance lacquer on panel 82 x 164 cm. (32 1/4 x 64 5/8 in.)
Christie's
Nov. 15, 2020
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. Vietnam, 1922 – d. 2016) Ushering In The Year Of The Dog, 1991
Est: RM8,000 - RM14,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem is often referred to as the great Vietnamese quartet of Nghiem-Lien-Sang-Phai, the other three being Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai, whom he studied together at the IndoChina Fine Arts College in 1941-1946. This drawing celebrated friendship using the faithful dog analogy. Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore with the contemporary in his lacquer works, incorporating ancient dance and Vietnamese zodiac signs, and paeans of the countryside. He won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996. He was very much influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. His literature Temple Guard won the 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944. He took part in the anti-French Resistance war and the land reforms in 1953. He taught at the Hanoi Fine Arts University from 1959 to 1960, and also the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Nov. 24, 2019
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (B. 1922) Ancient Dance lacquer on board 30 x 45.5 cm. (11 3/4 x 17 7/8 in.)
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (B. 1922) Ancient Dance signed 'nge 89' (upper right) lacquer on board 30 x 45.5 cm. (11 3/4 x 17 7/8 in.) Painted in 1989
Christie's
Jun. 30, 2019
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (b. 1922 - d. 2016) Ushering In The Year Of The Dog, 1991
Est: RM10,000 - RM16,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem is often referred to as the great Vietnamese quartet of Nghiem-Lien-Sang-Phai, the other three being Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai, whom he studied together at the Indo-China Fine Arts College in 1941-1946. This drawing celebrated friendship using the faithful dog analogy. Nguyen Tu Nghiem combined folklore with the contemporary in his lacquer works, incorporating ancient dance and Vietnamese zodiac signs, and paeans of the countryside. He won the Ho Chi Minh Prize for art in 1996. He was very much influenced by Nguyen Do Cung and To Ngoc Van. His literature Temple Guard won the 1st Prize at the Salon Unique in 1944. He took part in the anti-French Resistance war and the land reforms in 1953. He taught at the Hanoi Fine Arts University from 1959-1960, and also the Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University.
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
May. 26, 2019
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (VIETNAM, B. 1922) Ancient Dance lacquer on panel 80 x 95 cm. (30 1/2 x 37 3/8 in.)
Est: $180,000 - $280,000
NGUYEN TU NGHIEM (VIETNAM, B. 1922) Ancient Dance signed with artist monogram and dated ‘74’ (lower right) lacquer on panel 80 x 95 cm. (30 1/2 x 37 3/8 in.) Executed in 1974
Christie's
Mar. 29, 2019
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Bird, 1967
Est: HKD40,000 - HKD50,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) Bird, 1967 signed and dated '67', lower right on one side; signed and dated '67', lower right on other side.oil on panel, double-sided28 x 24 cm. (11 x 9 ½ in.) 阮思嚴鳥油彩畫布雙面一九六七年作PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTIONProvenance:Acquired directly from the artist by the present ownerThe Last Vanguards of Modern Vietnamese ArtBonhams is pleased to bring to sale from an important European private collection a selection of works from two of the last vanguards of modern Vietnamese art, Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Tu Nghiem. Both artists belong to the last batch of graduates from the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts d'Indochine (1941-1946), and were pivotal in the transmission of a modern sensibility. This took place against a backdrop of development in Vietnamese art in the immediate post-war years, as artists situated in independence-seeking Vietnam sought new visual languages beyond the apogee of its first generation painters – particularly the diasporic artists in Paris like Le Pho – who created the aesthetic foundations in silk and lacquer painting. The colour palette of the latter was tropical and true to life but restrained to sorghum browns and greens. Vietnam stood fossilised, in memoriam.The oeuvres of Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Tu Nghiem centred on the subject matter of daily and ritual life in Vietnam, from the Hanoi old streets beloved by Bui Xuan Phai to the traditional dances Nguyen Tu Nghiem was captivated by. Collectively, they injected realism – and a corresponding sense of romance – into Vietnamese art, steering its identity from the colonial-era preoccupation with deriving vernacular mediums and techniques to a modern, undisguised and more direct engagement with daily life. Dynamism and vivacity mark the fleeting glimpses of life captured by Bui and Nguyen.
Bonhams
Mar. 29, 2019
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) La Danse, 1969
Est: HKD30,000 - HKD50,000
Nguyen Tu Nghiem (Vietnamese, 1922-2016) La Danse, 1969 signed and dated '69', upper left.gouache on paper37.5 x 42 cm. (14 3/4 x 16 1/2 in.) 阮思嚴舞蹈水粉紙本一九六九年作PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTIONProvenance:Acquired directly from the artist by the present ownerThe Last Vanguards of Modern Vietnamese ArtBonhams is pleased to bring to sale from an important European private collection a selection of works from two of the last vanguards of modern Vietnamese art, Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Tu Nghiem. Both artists belong to the last batch of graduates from the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts d'Indochine (1941-1946), and were pivotal in the transmission of a modern sensibility. This took place against a backdrop of development in Vietnamese art in the immediate post-war years, as artists situated in independence-seeking Vietnam sought new visual languages beyond the apogee of its first generation painters – particularly the diasporic artists in Paris like Le Pho – who created the aesthetic foundations in silk and lacquer painting. The colour palette of the latter was tropical and true to life but restrained to sorghum browns and greens. Vietnam stood fossilised, in memoriam.The oeuvres of Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Tu Nghiem centred on the subject matter of daily and ritual life in Vietnam, from the Hanoi old streets beloved by Bui Xuan Phai to the traditional dances Nguyen Tu Nghiem was captivated by. Collectively, they injected realism – and a corresponding sense of romance – into Vietnamese art, steering its identity from the colonial-era preoccupation with deriving vernacular mediums and techniques to a modern, undisguised and more direct engagement with daily life. Dynamism and vivacity mark the fleeting glimpses of life captured by Bui and Nguyen.
Bonhams