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| King Hàm Nghi’s paintings auctioned in France. VNA photo |
PARIS – Nineteen paintings by King Hàm Nghi were sold for EUR330,000 (US$352,000) in total in an auction in Paris, France, on September 22.
Hàm Nghi was the 8th King of the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802–1945), but reigned for only one year (1884-1885).
After the failure of a movement against the French colonial rule, he was captured and exiled to Algeria, then a colony of France, on December 12, 1888.
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| The painting ‘Canh dong lua my’ sold for EUR32,000. |
While exiled in Algiers, he learned painting and sculpture techniques and dedicated his entire life to intense artistic activities as a painter and a sculptor.
According to the French auction house Lynda Trouvé, this is the first time that such a large number of paintings by the late king is offered for sale. They belonged to Henri Aubé, a French military officer who was stationed in Hà Nội between 1907 and 1909, and were discovered in the attic at his home.
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| An overview of the auction. VNA photo |
During a visit to Vietnam, a grandchild of King Ham Nghi, Dr Amandine Dabat, revealed that there are about 100 of his paintings that are still preserved. VNA/VNS
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