Painter Nguyen Sang and his lacquer painting ‘Party Admission Ceremony in Dien Bien Phu’
‘Ket Nap Dang o Dien Bien Phu’ (Party Admission Ceremony in Dien Bien Phu), which is the most special painting of the celebrated painter Nguyen Sang, is a national treasure which is currently being preserved at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts. It is not only an artwork recording the historical imprints of a bygone era but also marks Nguyen Sang’s talent in combining traditional lacquer art with the Western shaping style that he acquired at the Indochina School of Fine Arts from which he graduated.
A national treasure of great value and meaning
Painter Nguyen Sang is one of two recognised painters in Vietnam to have two national treasures currently kept in museums, namely the painting ‘Party Admission Ceremony in Dien Bien Phu’ at the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts and ‘Thanh nien Thanh dong’ (Strong Will of Youth) at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts. The other painter is Nguyen Gia Tri, with the two artworks ‘Vuon Xuan Trung Nam Bac’ (Spring Garden of the Central, South and North Regions) at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts and ‘Binh Phong’ (Folding Screen), which was created on both sides of an eight-piece board.
The painting ‘Party Admission Ceremony in Dien Bien Phu’
The painting ‘Party Admission Ceremony in Dien Bien Phu’
The painting ‘Party Admission Ceremony in Dien Bien Phu’ was created by Nguyen Sang in 1963, nearly 9 years after the globe was shaken by the Dien Bien Phu Victory. The painting is imbued with heroism as an explanation for the heroic victory claimed by the Vietnamese people.
The dossier from the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism states: “The painting recreates the heroic moment of Dien Bien soldiers on the battlefield, featuring three main and supporting character groups. The central group consists of three soldiers, including one with a bandaged head who is holding a gun. This group of three is strongly connected to two other soldiers on the right side of the painting through a determined handshake.
The entire Party accession ceremony takes place hastily within the trenches. On the left, a soldier supporting his wounded comrade illustrates how thin the line between life and death truly is. However, in the background, another soldier rushes into battle, as if that loss serves as motivation and further emphasises the urgent context of the war. The painting can be viewed as a national epic from the resistance period against the French, symbolising the noble and fierce revolutionary spirit.
“The distinctive feature of the work lies in how the renowned painter Nguyen Sang portrayed the Dien Bien soldiers using simplified yet robust artistic techniques. The painting’s colour palette is straightforward, predominantly using traditional lacquer colours such as vermilion red, yellow and silver. The painting notably incorporates some new colours like blue and green, which were successfully employed, marking an important milestone in the history of Vietnamese lacquer art.”
Department of Cultural Heritage
The dossier of the Department of Heritage assesses that the distinctive feature of the work lies in how the renowned painter Nguyen Sang portrayed the Dien Bien soldiers using simplified yet robust artistic techniques. The painting’s colour palette is straightforward, predominantly using traditional lacquer colours such as vermilion red, yellow and silver. The painting notably incorporates some new colours like blue and green, which were successfully employed, marking an important milestone in the history of Vietnamese lacquer art.
Painting ‘Thanh Nien Thanh Dong’ (Strong Will of Youth)
Painting ‘Thanh Nien Thanh Dong’ (Strong Will of Youth)
The painting “Ket nap Dang o Dien Bien Phu” (Party admission ceremony in Dien Bien Phu) by artist Nguyen Sang was recognised by the prime minister as a national treasure under Decision No. 2599/QĐ-TTg (dated December 30, 2013). “Ket nap Dang o Dien Bien Phu” is also one of six works by Nguyen Sang that received the Ho Chi Minh Award in 1996, along with ‘Nghi trua’ (Midday Nap), ‘Tru mua’ (Taking shelter from the rain), ‘Thanh Nien Thanh Dong’ (Iron-willed youth), ‘Gap nhau’ (Meeting each other), and ‘Giac dot lang toi’ (The enemy burned my village).
According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, this is an original and unique artwork that has been highly regarded by many historians, cultural experts, and art researchers for its historical, aesthetic, and cultural values.
The “Ket nap Dang o Dien Bien Phu” painting is currently being preserved at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
The “Ket nap Dang o Dien Bien Phu” painting is currently being preserved at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
Regarding its historical value, the painting authentically captures the moment of a Party admission ceremony in Dien Bien Phu, reflecting the heroic and determined spirit of the nation’s historic war — the resistance against the French. The painting plays an important role in studying the fundamental historical values that led to the resounding victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
In terms of aesthetic value, the artwork showcases the distinctive style of a Vietnamese fine arts master. It inherits the visual techniques of Western art with strong realism while maintaining a deep Vietnamese spirit and colour palette. The painting serves as a fundamental testament to the expressive versatility of Vietnamese lacquer art, beyond the decorative representational style of traditional fine arts.
In terms of cultural value, the work has created strong influences on society, such as promoting the spirit of the army and people during the resistance war against the US - the time when the painting was created, influencing generations of painters after Nguyen Sang with the spirit of an epic about patriotism and the revolutionary spirit of the Vietnamese people.
The painting bears special marks
Not only recording the mark of a period of the country's history, the 'Party admission ceremony in Dien Bien Phu' also bears the marks in the painting style of painter Nguyen Sang and Vietnamese paintings at that time.
Until now, painter Nguyen Sang's lacquer painting 'Party admission ceremony in Dien Bien Phu' is still the pinnacle of socialist realism art.
Dr Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, shared: “Until now, painter Nguyen Sang's lacquer painting 'Party admission ceremony in Dien Bien Phu' is still the pinnacle of socialist realism art”.
The work 'Pho Minh Pagoda' by artist Nguyen Sang, at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
The work 'Pho Minh Pagoda' by artist Nguyen Sang, at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.
Art researcher Nguyen Hai Yen said that this is a unique lacquer painting, one of the best in Vietnamese revolutionary fine arts in terms of both ideological content and artistic style. The famous artist Nguyen Sang recreated the scene of a special Party admission ceremony.
“The painting is about revolutionary communication, but it is not “dry” at all. The author has an emotional way of expressing it, giving the viewer a sense of calmness about a seemingly very thorny topic. The sacred moment of Party admission is expressed in a simple but extremely profound way in a compressed space, amid a challenging time - between two battles. That gives the viewer a deep feeling of the fierceness and tension of war,” researcher Nguyen Hai Yen analysed.
The work “The enemy burned my village” by artist Nguyen Sang.
The work “The enemy burned my village” by artist Nguyen Sang.
Nguyen Hai Yen commented: “In the painting, the soldier admitted to the Party (head wrapped in a white bandage) - one of the central characters of the painting holds a gun, looking solemnly at the Party flag on the trench wall. The other characters are all in motion: a soldier supporting a wounded comrade (in the left corner), a soldier rushing to battle (in the background), the characters in the centre of the painting are connected by a determined handshake... “All are tightly connected to form an impressive whole, focusing on highlighting the common theme”.
In terms of brushwork, the painting is considered to have a breakthrough in combining traditional and modern elements in painting. With traditional materials such as lacquer and the most basic colors such as vermillion red, eggshell white, and yellow, painter Nguyen Sang skillfully combined them with the strong, sturdy, realistic style of Western paintings.
The work “Lunch Break”.
The work “Lunch Break”.
Painter Luong Xuan Doan, Chairman of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, said that in addition to the familiar colours of the traditional lacquer colour system (red, yellow, silver), painter Nguyen Sang has taken the trouble to add some new colours (such as blue and green). Moreover, it can be seen that his works, to some extent, reflect the strong and straightforward character of the Southern people.
"By carefully selecting valuable details, the painter has elevated the work to a higher level of abstraction, highlighting patriotism, faith in the Party, and the spirit of unity and determination of the Dien Bien soldiers", said artist Luong Xuan Doan.
With a sincere and loving heart, the artist has used his brushstrokes to move viewers through modern yet simple colours and compositions—never dry or superficial—infused with genuine emotion and versatile talent.
According to painter Luong Xuan Doan, Nguyen Sang was one of the Vietnamese painters who mastered multiple artistic mediums, including important ones such as lacquer, oil painting, and silk. In almost every medium, he left behind remarkable imprints of his talent. With a sincere and loving heart, he used his brushstrokes to move viewers through modern yet simple colors and compositions—never dry or superficial—infused with genuine emotion and versatile artistry.
Painter Doan Thi Khue, one of Nguyen Sang’s close and longtime friends, shared that through his works, he truly lived in the hearts of people.
Painter Nguyen Sang.
Painter Nguyen Sang.
Painter Nguyen Sang (1923–1988), a native of My Tho City of Tien Giang Province, graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts in 1943. He is regarded as one of the four outstanding figures of modern Vietnamese fine arts, alongside painters Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Tu Nghiem, and Bui Xuan Phai. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Award for Literature and Arts in the field of fine arts in 1996.
Published: February 4, 2025
Content: TUYET LOAN
Photos: TUYET LOAN, Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
Design: NGOC LINH
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