Nguyễn Siên is a Post-War and Contemporary artist, born in 1916. His works have been auctioned multiple times, with realized prices ranging from 1,461 USD to 244,754 USD, depending on the size and medium of the artwork. Since 2018, the record price for this artist at auction is 244,754 USD for the piece “Jeunes filles au jardin,” sold at Aguttes, Neuilly in 2020.
Nguyễn Siên, whose real name is Nguyễn Văn Siên, was born in Bến Tre. Having a talent for painting and architecture, after high school, from 1936 to 1939, he continued his studies at the Gia Định School of Fine Arts in Saigon. After graduating, he went to Hanoi to take the entrance exam and was admitted to the Indochina College of Fine Arts, 14th cohort (1940-1945). After completing the course, Nguyễn Siên returned to the South to work as a professor at the Gia Định School of Practical Fine Arts, where he had previously studied. He contributed to training many generations of students at this school, turning them into renowned visual artists both domestically and internationally, playing a crucial role in the development of national art.
Artist’s portrait
Besides teaching, he created art as a freelancer, following an impressionist style, expressed through oil painting, lacquer, or watercolor. His works have a poetic and romantic tone, often using similar colors to create harmonious and pleasing compositions. His paintings, aside from landscapes, frequently depict the beauty of women. The muses in his paintings are portrayed very gracefully in Vietnamese ao dai and in distinctive dances or music performances, vividly recreating the scenes of an old Vietnam.
”Female Student” by Nguyễn Siên, pencil on paper, 41 x 31.5 cm (1989)
“Girl with Lotus” by Nguyễn Siên, lacquer on wood, 65 x 45 cm
“Farmers in the Field” by Nguyễn Siên, oil on canvas, 70 x 90 cm
In 1950, along with artists Lê Văn Đệ, Hoàng Tích Chù, and others, Nguyễn Siên participated in an art exhibition at the Vatican. He also took part in many exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including in Japan, Norway, Denmark, and the Vietnam-American Cultural Center in California (USA). He was once sent to Japan to decorate the Vietnamese craft store at the Expo fair in Tokyo, Japan.
“Girls in the Garden” by Nguyễn Siên, triptych lacquer, 120 x 135 cm
“Chorus” by Nguyễn Siên, oil on canvas, 69.7 x 79.2 cm
“Twin Vases with Female Musicians” by Nguyễn Siên, lacquer, 120 x 180 cm
Nguyễn Siên lived a life fully dedicated to art. Although he did not leave behind many works, each remaining painting reflects the refined value he meticulously crafted. At the Aguttes 2020 international auction, his painting exceeded 200,000 Euros – a dream price for many artists. In 1986, he moved to Denmark, continued creating art, and passed away on October 30, 2014, due to old age, at 99 years old.
Khánh Linh
