The ceremony to receive three paintings of President Ho Chi Minh by painter Van Giao (Source: CPV)

The paintings include a sketch and an oil painting featuring President Ho writing the Declaration of Independence, and a painting entitled ‘Being Escorted in the Early Morning’.

They were donated by Doan Van Duc, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee, and the family of Nguyen Van Duc, the son of painter Van Giao.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Vu Manh Ha, Director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum hailed the works about President Ho Chi Minh by painter Van Giao as very soulful, adding that they touch the hearts of the majority of Vietnamese people.

Not only do they portray the beloved leader, Giao’s paintings also feature historical moments of the nation as well as important milestones in the life and glorious revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh.

Painter Van Giao was one of the first Vietnamese revolutionary painters. Most of his works are focussed on two topics: nature, and President Ho Chi Minh.

Painting ‘Bac Ho Viet Tuyen Ngon Doc Lap’ (Uncle Ho writing the Declaration of Independence)

Painter Van Giao was the first painter to create a portrait of Uncle Ho amidst the bustling revolutionary atmosphere in Hanoi in October 1945.

He visited places where Uncle used to live and work, such as Nghe An Province and Cao Bang Province, where he was inspired to create many valuable paintings on the great Vietnamese leader.

Giao’s two most famous paintings on Uncle Ho are ‘Bac Ho Viet Tuyen Ngon Doc Lap’ (Uncle Ho writing the Declaration of Independence) and ‘Giai Di Som’ (Being Escorted in the Early Morning).

Of which, the ‘Uncle Ho writes the Declaration of Independence’ painting was first sketched in 1971 in watercolour in 26x34cm measurement. It was not until 1974 that Van Giao created another oil paint in size 81x110cm to further develop and explore the original sketch.

The painting portrays President Ho Chi Minh writing the Declaration of Independence on the second floor of the house at No. 48 Hang Ngang Street in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, ‘Being Escorted in the Early Morning’ was inspired by and named after a poem of the same name in President Ho Chi Minh’s poetry collection ‘Nhat Ky Trong Tu’ (Prison Diary).

The painting recreated the scene where Uncle Ho was escorted by soldier Chiang Kai-shek to a prison in Guangxi Province, China, in the early morning. The painting was composed in 1977 using gouache material, measuring 65x51 cm, reported VNA.

The ‘Uncle Ho writes the Declaration of Independence’ was preserved for more than 30 years by Doan Van Duc, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee. The painting was displayed at an exhibition held at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in 2016 to celebrate the 100th birthday of the painter Van Giao.

Born into a family with rich revolutionary tradition, Doan Van Duc revealed that both his grandfather and father had the opportunity to meet Uncle Ho in person.

He decided to donate the painting to the Ho Chi Minh Museum so that it can receive better preservation and promotion./.

Compiled by BTA