Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh (1917–1991), a rarely seen name on the international auction stage, has suddenly emerged into the spotlight at the June 1, 2025 auction in Paris. His lacquer painting Femme traversant le lac (“Woman Crossing the Lake”), created in 1941, far exceeded its estimated value of only €3,000–€5,000, ultimately hammering at €65,000, excluding taxes and fees. This surprising result may astonish those unfamiliar with the artist, but to connoisseurs and collectors, who are discerning and not easily misled by low estimates, the true worth of the piece was evident. In the world of auctions, real value is only determined when the final gavel falls.
This rare vertically composed lacquer painting (100 x 50 cm) depicts a young woman in a misty white áo dài gently walking across a bridge spanning a lake. The image serves as an emblem of Vietnamese beauty in the early 20th century: graceful, elegant, and contemplative. Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh’s use of traditional lacquer materials—natural resin, gold, silver, and red cinnabar—is infused with a classic Indochinese aesthetic, yet remains distinctly soft and lyrical. In the background, barren trees, a thatched hut, rocky mountains, and a veil of bluish mist create a dreamlike atmosphere. The radiant glow from the golden layer adds depth and allure, giving the painting its captivating presence.
Born in Hanoi in 1917, Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine alongside notable figures such as Tô Ngọc Vân, Trần Văn Cẩn, and Nguyễn Gia Trí. Trained under the mentorship of Nam Sơn, he quickly revealed his natural affinity for lacquer painting, especially during the early 1940s. Although he would later explore other mediums, the initial phase of his career was marked by emotionally rich works rooted deeply in Vietnamese spirit and identity.
Femme traversant le lac is believed to portray a familiar figure of a Hanoi maiden by Hoàn Kiếm Lake, but the painting transcends its geographic reference with a poetic abstraction. From composition to color, from line to rhythm, every element contributes to a harmonious, poetic, and refined whole. Despite minor flaking around the edges due to age, the work remains a rare gem from the early days of Indochinese lacquer painting, prized for both its artistic and collectible value.
That this painting fetched a price over ten times its initial estimate is a powerful signal of the renewed interest and rightful reassessment of artists like Ngô Mạnh Quỳnh. Though rarely seen on the market, his contributions to the history of modern Vietnamese art are significant. Today, that value has been affirmed through a dramatic bidding contest between Paris and Hanoi.
Le Auction House
Original link: https://lehouseart.com/tin-tuc/ngo-manh-quynh-nguoi-di-qua-mat-ho-397.html
