I see an artist on the cusp of a wave risen up as the artistic traditions of East and West meet headlong in the art of a young Vietnamese artist in the early part of the 20th Century. Painted on silk, an Oriental tradition if ever there was one, that composition of the “Jeune fille” (titled in the language of the French imperialists) displays a synthesis of two quite different traditions of representation, colouration and style. The young woman is represented as almost but not quite making it into three dimensions, the thinnest of outlines on the left-hand side of her face and the strong framing of her hair to the right, work to flatten her face almost in the manner of an icon from the much earlier period of Western art even though the shading of her cheeks lean towards a western three-dimensionality. The table too betrays an Eastern style of perspective, or rather lack of it – showing a near-round disk as if we are looking down on it instead of across it to the girl who leans upon its far side insouciantly smoking a cigarette in a long holder which places the picture squarely in the mid 20’s. The objects on the table are all thus displayed at equal size – a printed book of Chinese pictograms, a traditional ink block and rubbing dish and some artfully displayed blooms in a shallow bowl. The colours are stronger than in traditional Eastern art and yet the face of the young woman evokes both Chinese art and Western paintings of the period with a very direct and frank intimacy – only emphasised by the white cat casually enfolded in the crook of her arm its tail perhaps trapped beneath that arm. This portrait is of a modern young woman, who is at ease with the artist but is somehow caught on the cusp of change both for her and the artist…
a new age beckons
pulling the young artist out
of Eastern art traditions
Over at dVerse Poets Pub, Melissa Lemay in Poetics invites us to be inspired by the work of LePho – an early 20th-century Vietnamese artist and to write Ekphrastically to a theme from the following, women, flowers, landscapes or family. I have chosen to write a Haibun for this prompt.
Love the interpretation of the East and West influences on the artist and the young woman. It certainly shows in the details of the painting.
Thanks, Grace, once you start writing thoughts down, there is so much to capture…
Nice interpretation of the painting, Andrew!
Thank you, Dwight, I hadn’t heard of the artist before but his work is very charming…
A truly ekphrastic haibun, Andrew, in which you have not only speculated about the subject but also explored history and culture. I love that Jane saw an author and you an artist, the joy of ekphrastic writing, and you also really explored technique and style.
Thanks, Kim, this was the first time I voluntarily used the Haibun as it seemed the best way to deal with all the information whilst summarising poetically…
I like your wonderfully ekphrastic rendering of this piece of art through your poem, Andrew.
Yes, I agree. Her expression is distinctly unsubmissive, more assertive, and not what we associate with her role in an Oriental culture of a hundred years ago.
His women all reveal a lot more character than is usual in Eastern art…
I do believe you captured every detail in his artwork and turned it into a lovely haibun! Well done Andrew … well done.
Thank you very much, Helen, the more I looked the more was revealed – and I am now officially a fan of the Haibun…
I love how you also see the different culture coming together in the painting. The French so obvious while still very Eastern.
Coming to write about a picture makes you see things you might otherwise miss and the mixture of styles was what I saw…
Wonderful piece Andrew, well written — I love the way you dig down into the painting, it brings it to life… 👍🏼✌🏼
Once I started looking critically I couldn’t stop, Rob!
I loved looking at the painting through your eyes, Andrew. You really delved deep and your ekphrastic haibun does justice to this one of a kind painting.
Thank you Punam, beautifully put…
loved your haibun! very well written.
I couldn’t see the point of Haibuns before but now I am a convert, Ren…
Great Haibun Andrew, and love the compare/contrast of east-west too. so much in this.
Thanks so much, Paul…