Oil on canvas painting. Featuring a lady getting ready. Signed and attr. To Ngoc Van (Vietnamese, 1906-1954). 23.6 x 11.8 in. (60 x 30 cm). To Ngoc Van was a notable Vietnamese painter, and one of the first generation of students to graduate from the École des Beaux Arts de l’Indochine, Hanoi, founded in 1925. He was known primarily for his works in oil, which captured the romantic subjects popular in Vietnamese painting of the 1930s and 1940s. As one of the first Vietnamese artists to write and publish art criticism in the local press, he was also influential in shaping the public discourse around Vietnamese modern art. Like many other intellectuals of his generation, he lived through the transition from the colonial period to the anti-colonial, Communist-led revolution, and consequently had to make profound changes to his ideas and practices. During the First Indochina War (1946–1954), he transformed his manner of painting to suit the new ideological environment, creating propaganda works to boost morale, as well as images of peasants and soldiers. However, he was still a strong advocate for the visual arts, and published passionate defenses of creative freedom, artistic education and the practice of modern Vietnamese lacquer painting, despite the ideological pressures of the period. PROVENANCE: Private collection (Central Europe)

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By [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : In our opinion, the work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

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Follower of [Artist Name]: In our opinion, a work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : In our opinion, this work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).

Bears signature : In our opinion, the signature on the artwork may be spurious.
Apocryphal : Of doubtful authenticity.