| It's not been long since Vietnamese art | | | | treated seriously by art lovers worldwide. |
| established its ground in the past century. | | | | Most Vietnam artists borrow Western art |
| With the Ecole De Beaux Arts opening its | | | | techniques, but the content always pertains |
| doors to local students some 70 years back, | | | | to the intricacies and complexities of past |
| began the slow diffusion of Vietnamese art | | | | Vietnamese cultural life. The Vietnam artists |
| into the local scenario. However, the | | | | too, like others, are moved by their |
| cultural inception of Vietnamese art goes | | | | surroundings and have opted for a sensitive |
| back much further. When the first lessons in | | | | medium to put their identities into canvas |
| line drawing, anatomy, and landscape painting | | | | using colors and poetic imagery. |
| were offered in the first half of the 20th | | | | |
| century, art students began to make use of | | | | Generations of Vietnam artists have executed |
| the rich cultural and religious background to | | | | their work brilliantly. No two artists |
| bring new flavor to their work. Village huts, | | | | display similar characteristics. Rather, each |
| farmers, and daily life formed the themes of | | | | one has his unique style. Among the artists |
| the paintings. The tradition of lacquer and | | | | of the older generation, Bui Xuan Phai earned |
| silk paintings had already begun very early | | | | a name for having traded paintings for food |
| and were used in temple decorations. The | | | | during the period of serious economic |
| French colonial period saw a rise in the | | | | hardship. The younger generation of artists |
| number of students taking to painting. These | | | | aims to make a mark for themselves in the |
| upcoming artists possessed sufficient skill | | | | widening intellectual and business arena. |
| but lacked the means to display them to | | | | This generation of young artists also |
| perfection. However, the scenario has | | | | reflects to move away from the past and |
| undergone a sea change today with modern | | | | create an indelible mark on the future. Use |
| artists executing their abilities combining | | | | of motifs, symbols, emblems form the chief |
| traditional and innovative styles. | | | | weapons by which these artists try to convey |
| | | | the multiple emotions and feelings. |
| Art connoisseurs outside Vietnam often point | | | | |
| out some striking resemblance of Vietnamese | | | | For long, Vietnam artists lacked the |
| painting to European painting. But it would | | | | opportunities to exhibit their skill in other |
| be absolutely wrong to assume that Vietnamese | | | | parts of the world. Their imagination, |
| art is a mere replica of its European | | | | however, did not wane away. Rather, it gave |
| counterpart. An important justification of | | | | way to fresher ideas leading to |
| this is the desire of Vietnam artists to make | | | | experimentation. Vietnamese fine art has thus |
| them acceptable throughout the world. The | | | | new dimension and is being widely acclaimed |
| resemblance to European painting is often | | | | by art connoisseurs worldwide. |
| deliberate, expressing their wish to be | | | | |