![\"Minh](\"https:\/\/boitran.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2002\/11\/IMG_2049-2-690x1024.jpg\")
\n\t\tMinh Chau preparing for the exhibition Small and Miniature Paintings by the Masters at her own art gallery, 7 Ly Dao Thanh, Hanoi, Vietnam\n\tIn each small frame, a world unfolds: tender, intimate, and quietly profound. From Bui Xuan Phai’s ink-drawn matchbox portraits to Nguyen Trung’s reflective sketches, these miniature masterpieces speak not of scale, but of soul. Rooted in centuries of artistic tradition, yet wholly Vietnamese in spirit, they remind us that greatness often comes gently, in the smallest of gestures.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\tMinh Chau preparing for the exhibition Small and Miniature Paintings by the Masters at her own art gallery, 7 Ly Dao Thanh, Hanoi, Vietnam\n\t
C\u00f3 l\u1ebd, mu\u1ed1n b\u00e0n v\u1ec1 b\u1ea5t c\u1ee9 m\u1ed9t ng\u00e0nh n\u00e0o, m\u1ed9t kh\u00eda c\u1ea1nh n\u00e0o c\u1ee7a m\u1ef9 thu\u1eadt c\u1eadn \u0111\u1ea1i Vi\u1ec7t Nam, ng\u01b0\u1eddi t\u00ecm hi\u1ec3u kh\u00f4ng th\u1ec3 n\u00e0o tr\u00e1nh \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c vi\u1ec7c quay v\u1ec1 v\u1edbi ngu\u1ed3n g\u1ed1c c\u1ee7a h\u1ed9i ho\u1ea1 T\u00e2y ph\u01b0\u01a1ng m\u00e0 ch\u00fang ta \u0111\u00e3 \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c ti\u1ebfp c\u1eadp t\u1eeb \u0111\u1ea7u th\u1ebf k\u1ef7 XX \u0111\u1ebfn nay.<\/p>\n
Lo\u1ea1i tranh kh\u1ed5 nh\u1ecf hay c\u00f2n g\u1ecdi l\u00e0 ti\u1ec3u ho\u1ea1 c\u00f3 t\u1eeb th\u1eddi Trung C\u1ed5 \u1edf Ph\u00e1p. Kho\u1ea3ng th\u1ebf k\u1ef7 X, XI c\u00e1c ho\u1ea1 s\u0129 th\u1eddi \u0111\u00f3 \u0111\u00e3 d\u00f9ng k\u1ef9 thu\u1eadt ti\u1ec3u ho\u1ea1 \u0111\u1ec3 mi\u00eau t\u1ea3 cu\u1ed9c \u0111\u1eddi ch\u00faa Jesus v\u00e0 minh ho\u1ea1 Th\u00e1nh Kinh d\u00f9ng cho vi\u1ec7c truy\u1ec1n \u0111\u1ea1o. V\u00ec ho\u00e0n c\u1ea3nh in \u1ea5n th\u00f4 s\u01a1 c\u00e1c tranh ph\u1ea3i d\u00f9ng kh\u1ed5 nh\u1ecf, v\u00e0 do \u0111\u00f3 \u0111i v\u00e0o chi ti\u1ebft \u0111\u1ec3 di\u1ec5n t\u1ea3 tinh th\u1ea7n c\u1ee7a m\u1ed7i t\u00e1c ph\u1ea9m.<\/p>\n
In the 18th-19th centuries, especially when the Impressionist School reached its zenith, miniatures had on many occasions left their primary role as sketches to develop into a very original art school since the emotive fever of this genre sometimes towered over that of large-size paintings. Hence, artists had to spend more time meticulously refining miniatures until their total complete satisfaction. Yet this goal generally proves to be very difficult to attain, since the more the latter is finished and refined, the more they lose warm feelings and the freshness and vigour of the artist’s strokes and colours, an advantage commonly found in the initial drafts of sketches.<\/p>\n
To compare miniatures with large-size paintings, a genre that requires a great deal of time for their execution, Auguste Renoir, a French master painter, said: “To confront the two genres of paintings, I would like to make a comparison: Just like a passionate lovemaking during a short night with so many years of an ardent love.” At this, Renoir’s friends exclaimed, “OH!” and they realised the value of the miniatures that Renoir left to the world.<\/p>\n
R\u1ea5t nhi\u1ec1u ho\u1ea1 s\u0129 Ph\u00e1p thu\u1ed9c tr\u01b0\u1eddng ph\u00e1i \u1ea4n t\u01b0\u1ee3ng nh\u01b0 Monet c\u0169ng v\u1ebd lo\u1ea1i ti\u1ec3u ho\u1ea1 n\u00e0y. Ngay c\u1ea3 ho\u1ea1 s\u0129 \u0111\u01b0\u1eddng ph\u1ed1 Utrillo c\u0169ng \u0111\u1ec3 l\u1ea1i r\u1ea5t nhi\u1ec1u t\u00e1c ph\u1ea9m nh\u1ecf.<\/p>\n
A single Renoir’s or Monet’s miniature was sold at Drouot auctions (Paris) for USD 40,000 – USD 50,000, and it measured only 15 \u00d7 40 cm.<\/p>\n
Now, let’s return to our Vietnamese art. In reality, few of our ant collectors pay special attention to this genre of painting. Legend tells us that in Bui Xuan Phai’s lifetime, his friends used to come to see him. They lingered at his home to watch him paint and talk. The master painter told them about the power and great success of miniature paintings. He said: “Don’t look down upon miniatures, they are very beautiful and by no means inferior to the large-size paintings which artists have spent lots of time to execute and embellish.”<\/p>\n
To turn his words into deeds, Bui Xuan Phai drew a series of miniatures with a steel pen dipped in red ink or pupil’s blue ink. Most of the portraits are those of his friends or talented writers and artists in northern Vietnam and were done on pieces of paper as large as a matchbox. Later, a certain family acquired them and resold them on the market. When viewing them, art lovers could not help but exclaim their admiration at such wonderful and successful portraits. One more detail: Bui Xuan Phai did not fail to sign his name, and at times, he even dated the miniature portraits. This is clear enough to show his regard and responsibility for each of his mini artworks.<\/p>\n
The master painter quietly resolved his creative curiosity with this genre of miniature paintings. He made them while sitting or standing, at every hour or minute of his life. Upon completion, he signed them and dedicated them to a friend whom he’d painted. Sometimes he threw them into the wastebasket as soon as he had finished them, fetched another piece of paper and went on drawing. Perhaps this genre of painting responded to his creative artistic need. “Truyen Kieu” (“Kim Van Kieu”) and Ho Xuan Huong’s poems offered abundant inspiration to him, e.g. these: “Men are hesitating: they are reluctant to go: – It’s not good to miss the opportunity, but lingering is indecent behaviour!”<\/p>\n
The miniature paintings, including drafts or sketches by other contemporary artists on display at my exhibition today, are made by: Nguyen Phan Chanh, Tran Van Can, Dung Bich Lien, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Nguyen Sang, Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Tien Chung, Luu Cong Nhan from North Vietnam and Nguyen Trung from South Vietnam. I think that they are sufficient to show the power and success of Vietnamese art, which follows the tradition of Western painting: “Any genre of painting will do. It is essential that one should add something that has never been found in the world’s art.”<\/p>\n
An art critic from New Zealand wrote: “From the beginning of the 20th century up till now, the world’s atmosphere of artistic creation has seemed to come to a dead end”. Conversely, Vietnamese painting, though still timid and awkward when it proceeds to do creative work and voice its opinion or notwithstanding it is only a “distant relative” of European Impressionism and Fauvism, is still regarded as a fresh breeze of creativity. Vietnamese pictures are indeed contributing their presence to European museums and Western families. Now they are expanding to America…<\/p>\n
Minh Ch\u00e2u thi\u1ebft ngh\u0129, s\u1ef1 th\u1eadt, h\u1ed9i ho\u1ea1 Vi\u1ec7t Nam c\u00f3 m\u1eb7t kh\u1eafp n\u01a1i tr\u00ean th\u1ebf gi\u1edbi v\u00ec m\u1ed9t l\u00fd do r\u1ea5t gi\u1ea3n d\u1ecb: kh\u00f4ng gi\u1ed1ng ai, \u0111\u1ed9c \u0111\u00e1o v\u00e0 r\u1ea5t Vi\u1ec7t Nam.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Trong m\u1ed7i khung h\u00ecnh nh\u1ecf, m\u1ed9t th\u1ebf gi\u1edbi m\u1edf ra, d\u1ecbu d\u00e0ng, g\u1ea7n g\u0169i v\u00e0 th\u1eb3m s\u00e2u. T\u1eeb nh\u1eefng ch\u00e2n dung tr\u00ean v\u1ecf bao di\u00eam c\u1ee7a B\u00f9i Xu\u00e2n Ph\u00e1i \u0111\u1ebfn nh\u1eefng k\u00fd ho\u1ea1 tr\u1ea7m t\u01b0 c\u1ee7a Nguy\u1ec5n Trung, nh\u1eefng t\u00e1c ph\u1ea9m nh\u1ecf b\u00e9 \u1ea5y kh\u00f4ng n\u00f3i v\u1ec1 k\u00edch th\u01b0\u1edbc, m\u00e0 n\u00f3i v\u1ec1 linh h\u1ed3n.\n\nB\u1eaft r\u1ec5 t\u1eeb nh\u1eefng truy\u1ec1n th\u1ed1ng ngh\u1ec7 thu\u1eadt l\u00e2u d\u00e0i, nh\u01b0ng mang m\u1ed9t tinh th\u1ea7n Vi\u1ec7t Nam r\u1ea5t ri\u00eang, ch\u00fang nh\u1eafc ta r\u1eb1ng c\u00e1i l\u1edbn lao \u0111\u00f4i khi \u0111\u1ebfn r\u1ea5t kh\u1ebd, trong nh\u1eefng c\u1eed ch\u1ec9 nh\u1ecf nh\u1ea5t.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5121,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,27,32,9],"tags":[90,91,17,141],"class_list":["post-5122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-event","category-exhibition","category-stories","tag-boi-tran","tag-boi-tran-art-gallery","tag-boi-tran-garden","tag-minh-chau-art-gallery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5122"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7661,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5122\/revisions\/7661"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/boitran.com\/vi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}