Luu Cong Nhan

(Vietnamese, 1931-2007)

Quatre dessins

Footnotes

Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist by the father of the present owner in Vietnam
Thence in the family by descent
Private collection, Switzerland


Lưu Công Nhân was a distinguished artist whose rural upbringing deeply influenced his artistic journey. The serene beauty of nature and the simple yet earnest lives of the farmers and labourers who surrounded him during his formative years helped shape his artistic sensibility.

In 1954, Nhân graduated with distinction from the first Resistance Class of the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, where he was mentored by the revolutionary painter Tô Ngọc Văn following the school's relocation to the Viet Bac Resistance Zone. The combination of his natural artistic dispositions and the skills he acquired during his studies positioned him as one of Văn's most promising students.

Nhân is celebrated for the variety of his works. He demonstrated a mastery of multiple art genres, including female nude paintings - for which he is particularly revered - landscapes, rural scenes and still lifes. His mastery spanned several media, including oil, watercolour and paper.

His painting style bore the unmistakable influence of French Impressionism. However, Nhân carved out his own niche by blending these western aesthetics with those of oriental calligraphy. The result was a unique style characterised by a variety of expressive and spontaneous strokes.

Each stroke encapsulated an aspect of Nhân's existence, vividly portraying the artist's life experiences, emotional spectrum, aspirations, and dreams. He painted his subjects using singular and unrepeated brushstrokes, the mastery of which simultaneously required emotional and physical balance, intense concentration, as well as a release of the resulting pressure.

Nhân's contributions to the art world were not limited to Vietnam. His numerous exhibitions at home and abroad are a testament to his international recognition. The awards and honours he received not only underscore his artistic prowess, but also how his art transcends geographical boundaries.

At heart, Lưu Công Nhân was not just a painter; he was a storyteller whose canvases told tales of emotional depth rooted in natural beauty - echoing the harmonious simplicity and sincere narratives inherent in rural life.