On November 12, the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts held a ceremony to accept The Hills of Deli Ibrahim (Algiers) by King Ham Nghi, alongside the launch of the book Ham Nghi: Exiled Emperor, Artist in Algiers by Dr. Amandine Dabat, the king’s fifth-generation descendant.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts, affirmed that acquiring and displaying this painting is highly significant for the museum and for Vietnamese art as a whole.
“This gesture represents respect and appreciation for King Ham Nghi’s family, who returned a valuable piece by a patriotic king. It also honors those who generously donate art to the museum. The Hills of Deli Ibrahim (Algiers) not only enriches our collection but also provides valuable historical material for scholars of late-19th and early-20th-century Vietnamese art,” Minh stated.
Painted by King Ham Nghi in 1908, The Hills of Deli Ibrahim (Algiers) depicts the rural landscape near his residence in Algiers, Algeria’s capital.
According to Dr. Amandine Dabat, the painting’s depiction of a sunset in backlighting is one of the king’s most symbolic works. Drawing on the French pointillist style of the late 19th century, Ham Nghi brought the vibrant evening colors to life with dynamic strokes.
“This painting was chosen for repatriation after consulting with the family. It exemplifies Ham Nghi’s exploration of post-impressionist art. In 1926, it was exhibited at the Mantelet-Colette Weil Gallery in Paris under the title The Hills of Deli Ibrahim (Algiers) and signed as ‘Tu Xuan,’” Dr. Amandine Dabat explained.
She hopes that this donation to the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts will pave the way for other Ham Nghi artworks to be repatriated in the future.
Several of Ham Nghi’s other works are reproduced in Ham Nghi: Exiled Emperor, Artist in Algiers:
King Ham Nghi was born in 1871 and ascended the throne in 1884. After the fall of Hue in 1885, he issued the Can Vuong edict, urging patriots to rise up against colonial forces.
In 1888, the French captured him and exiled him to Algiers. He lived in a villa on El Biar hill, about 12 km from the capital, preserving Vietnamese customs until his passing in early 1944.
Tinh Le
Vietnamnet.vn
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