Attributed to Nguyen Gia Tri (1908-1993): 'Bather', ink and watercolour on silk, Tien Sa, dated 1st Jan. 1974

Dim.: 88,5 x 51 cm (the frame)
Dim.: 67,5 x 37,5 cm (the work)

Nguyễn Gia Trí (1908–1993) is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Vietnamese art and a pioneer of the lacquer painting medium. Born in Hà Tây Province (now part of Hanoi), he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, where he specialized in lacquer painting and graduated in 1936. From a family of skilled embroiderers who worked for the imperial court, Nguyễn Gia Trí absorbed the sensibility of silk and textile craftsmanship from an early age. This deep-rooted craft tradition shaped his fine eye for pattern, detail, and materiality.

Throughout his career, he transformed lacquer from a decorative craft into a refined artistic language, introducing innovative techniques incorporating multiple layers of lacquer, eggshell, gold, and silver. His lyrical depictions of women, Vietnamese landscapes, and stylized compositions established a new aesthetic vocabulary for modern lacquer art. Nguyễn Gia Trí is celebrated as one of the “Four Masters” of modern Vietnamese painting, and in 2012 he was posthumously awarded the prestigious Ho Chi Minh Prize for his cultural and artistic contributions.