Portrait of a Young Girl

Born in Hanoi in 1890, Nguyen Nam Son, whose real name is Nguyen Van Tho, was taught by his brother Si-Duc and his cousin Pham Nhu Binh who initiated him to Chinese calligraphy. At the Lyce du Protectorat, he studied drawing and sculpture. Following that, he became an illustrator, working on books and newspaper. His place of importance in Vietnamese art was sealed in 1921 when he met Victor Tardieu and played a key role in the formation of the cole des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine in 1925. He travelled to France and met other Asian art luminaries including Xu Beihong and Leonard Foujita. On his return to Vietnam, he continued to teach art and was skilled at silk painting. His ability to capture the soulful visage of his sitter is well exemplified in the present lot.