Vũ Cao Đàm (1908-2000) was a Vietnamese painter. He was one of the alumni of

Victor Tardieu Victor François Tardieu (30 April 1870, Orliénas - 12 June 1937, Hanoi) was a French painter; cofounder of what is now known as the Vietnam University of Fine Arts. Biography In 1887, he was admitted to the École nationale des beaux-arts d ...

École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine The Vietnam University of Fine Arts (formerly ''Hanoi College of Fine Arts'') is an art school in Hanoi, Vietnam originally established in Tonkin under French colonial rule in 1925. The university has trained many of Vietnam's leading artists and ...

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

in the 1930s, along with

Mai Trung Thứ Mai, or MAI, may refer to: Names * Mai (Chinese surname) * Mai (Vietnamese surname) * Mai (name) * Mai (singer), J-Pop singer Places * Chiang Mai, largest city in northern Thailand * Ma-i, a pre-Hispanic Philippine state * Mai, Non Sung, Tha ...

, Lê Phổ and woman painter

Lê Thị Lựu Lê Thị Lựu (黎氏榴, 19 January 1911 – 6 June 1988) was a Vietnamese woman painter. She was one of the first women and rare notable female alumni of Victor Tardieu's École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine in Hanoi, becoming the schoo ...

, to emigrate to France and make a career in Paris.

Biography

Childhood

Vu Cao Dam, was born January 8, 1908, in Hanoi, the son of Vu Dinh Thi and Pham Thi Cuc. He was the 5th of 14 children of whom 9 reached adulthood. The family came from Trinh Xuyen (today Lien Bai) district of Vu Ban, province of Nam Dinh.

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. A member of a large

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

family, the artist was the fifth of fourteen children. His father Vu Dinh Thi (1864-1930) 4th of 5 children, was born in a family converted to Catholicism since the 18th century. The family situation being satisfactory, Vu Cao Dam’s father went to school at a very tender age and since early childhood became proficient at Chinese calligraphy. He also studied Latin, French and Spanish, but had a true veneration for Confucius and a great love and knowledge of Chinese literature. At the time, he was one of the few Vietnamese who perfectly mastered the French language and for that reason was sent to Paris by the Government at the occasion of the Universal Exhibition in 1889. He was conquered by French people’s kind and elegant manners and kept wonderful memories of his stay. Later on, he tried to convey to his children his admiration and taste for French Culture. At the age of 30 he married Pham Thi Cuc (1877-1931) then aged 17, also a Catholic. He was what French people used to call “un lettré”. He founded and directed all his life the School of Interpreters of Hanoi, which formed the Mandarins for the colonial Regime.

Education

In 1926 Vu Cao Dam entered the École des Beaux-Arts of Hanoi. From 1925 to 1945, according to the year, some eight to ten candidates were admitted on the 60 to 100 who applied for the selection. There he took drawing, painting and sculpture classes. During the five years his studies lasted, Victor Tardieu, founder of the school, never ceased to encourage him. His main teachers were:

for painting, Joseph Inguimberty for decoration, Batteur for architecture, Dr Phénix for anatomy, and Goloubew for medicine. Every year a professor of painting or drawing, who held the title of the Indochina Prize, came to teach at the Academy of Fine Arts. Victor Tardieu dedicated himself totally to his beloved school. Not only did he teach painting and the means to succeed in that field, but he wanted to insure for his pupils the best possible material conditions so they could accomplish their work in utmost serenity. As one of two students in a brand new

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

department, Vu Cao Dam excelled in modeling busts. Over the course of the five-year program, the emerging artist created numerous bronze pieces including: Tête de Jeune Fille, 1927; Young Peasant Girl, 1927; a bust of his father, Vu Dinh Thi, 1927; Rooster, 1927; Bust of Victor Tardieu, 1928; and Head of a Man with a Mandarin Hat, 1930. The bronze bust of Victor Tardieu was later donated to the Ecole des Beaux Arts d’Indochine by the Tardieu family. Upon graduating from the fine arts school in 1931, Cao Dam received a scholarship that sent him to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to continue his studies. This journey to France would be a significant turning point in his life, as Vu Cao Dam would never return to his homeland of Vietnam. Vu Cao Dam settled at the

Cite Universitaire To cite is to quote or mention a source. CITE or Cite may refer to: * Cite (cycling team), Italy * ''Cite'' (magazine), an American architecture quarterly * CITE-FM, a Canadian radio station * Center for Innovation Testing and Evaluation, a prop ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, and was soon invited to participate in the 1931 Exposition Coloniale Internationale at the Angkor Wat Pavilion by its art director, his old mentor Victor Tardieu. He then enrolled in the

Far East The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

section of the Ecole du Louvre. Within the walls of the great museum other galleries scattered around Paris, Vu Cao Dam was able to view and study the great European masterpieces. He made great discoveries in the works of

Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that ...

Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...

, Bonnard, and

Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

, as well as the sculptural creations of

Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

Despiau Charles Despiau (November 4, 1874 – October 30, 1946) was a French people, French sculptor and teacher. He also worked as a draftsman, graphic artist and book illustrator. Early life Charles-Albert Despiau was born at Mont-de-Marsan, Landes (d ...

and

Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker, who was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced by artistic styles su ...

. As a young artist in his formative years, the art of Paris was a fantastic source of learning and inspiration.

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

and

Post-Impressionist Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction a ...

elements would always find their way into Vu Cao Dam’s future creations.

War years

When

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

broke out, Vu Cao Dam was forced to interrupt his work in bronze casting, as all metal was claimed by the German army occupying France. As a result, the artist turned his concentration to other mediums and produced some of his finest paintings during the war period. By 1946 the artist was becoming increasingly well-known and appreciated in Parisian art circles. That same year

Ho Chi Minh (born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), colloquially known as Uncle Ho () among other aliases and sobriquets, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and politician who served as the founder and first President of Vietnam, president of the ...

, President of the newly declared

Democratic Republic of Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it opposed the French-suppor ...

, arrived in Paris. Vu Cao Dam met with the Vietnamese leader and modeled a bust after him.

The 1950s

For health reasons, Vu Cao Dam made the decision to leave Paris in 1949, and moved to southern France. Moving his family to the villa Les Heures Claires, the artist settled just down the road from Matisse’s Chapel and only a mile away from where

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

was living in les Collines. Vu Cao Dam was not only influenced by Chagall and the other members of the

École de Paris The School of Paris (, ) refers to the French and émigré artists who worked in Paris in the first half of the 20th century. The School of Paris was not a single art movement or institution, but refers to the importance of Paris as a centre o ...

, but by the

art brut Art Brut is an English indie rock band. Their debut album, '' Bang Bang Rock & Roll'', was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, ''It's a Bit Complicated'', released on 25 June 2007. Named after French painter Jean Dubuffet's definition ...

artists as well, including

Dubuffet Jean Philippe Arthur Dubuffet (; 31 July 1901 – 12 May 1985) was a French painter and sculptor of the École de Paris (School of Paris). His idealistic approach to aesthetics embraced so-called "low art" and eschewed traditional standards of b ...

and Malaval. The light and atmosphere of southern France also proved to be a heavy influence on Cao Dam's paintings from this period. In 1954, he presented his paintings at the Les Amis des Arts gallery in

Aix en Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the subprefecture of the arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence, in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, in the ...

Paul Hervieu Paul Hervieu (2 September 185725 October 1915) was a French novelist and playwright. Early years He was born Paul-Ernest Hervieu in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Hervieu was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family. He studied law, but soug ...

, the dealer and owner of a gallery in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. Around this time Vu Cao Dam met the famous tailor, Michele Sapone.Michele Sapone’s most famous customer was

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

, whose Sapone-created wardrobe included a white silk suit that the artist always wore to bullfights. Filling his shop on the Rue de Chateauneuf in Nice with over 450 paintings and drawings by different artists, the Italian immigrant exchanged tailored suits for these artworks.

The 1960s

In 1960, Vu Cao Dam exhibited his paintings in London at the Frost & Reed Gallery, and three years later his work was presented in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. The artist then signed an exclusive contract with the art dealer Wally Findlay, Jr. of

Wally Findlay Galleries Findlay Galleries is a commercial art gallery with locations in New York City, New York and Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach. History Findlay Galleries was founded as "Findlay Art Rooms" In Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, in 1870, b ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

His art

Vu Cao Dam balanced the qualities of traditional Vietnamese painting, and certain characteristics of

Western painting The history of Western painting represents a continuous, though disrupted, tradition from classical antiquity, antiquity until the present time. Until the mid-19th century it was primarily concerned with Representational art, representational ...

. With the exception of some landscapes, Vu Cao Dam concentrated his talents to figure painting. The women and young girls of his native country, along with its folklore and poems were his favorite subjects. These women are often the only dark elements within a composition of lighter colors and delicate tones.

Footnotes

Bibliography

# # Taylor, Nora. “Orientalism/Occidentalism: The Founding of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts d’Indochine and the Politics of Painting in Colonial Vietnam, 1925-1945”. Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 11, No. 2 (1997). pp. 1–33 # Belcher, George and Huong, Nguyen Thi Lan. History of Vu Cao Dam. Arts of Asia, Vol. 39 (2010) # André-Pallois, Nadine/Ménonville, Corinne de: Paris-Hanoï-Saigon, l'aventure de l'art moderne au Viêt Nam, exhibition catalogue, Pavillon des Arts, Paris, 1998. # Kember, Pamela. Benezit Dictionary of Asian Artists. Oxford University Press (2012)
Findlay Galleries

External links

- Le Pho Art Gallery
Vu Cao Dam
- Findlay Galleries
Vu Cao Dam Website

Vu Cao Dam on Artnet