Shockwaves ran through the local art world last week after museum officials, artists and experts emerged from a meeting to declare that 17 paintings belonging to collector Vu Xuan Chung shown at the recent exhibition “Paintings Returned from Europe” at the HCM City Fine Arts Museum appeared not to be authentic and signed by artists who had not painted the works.
Chung, who was not present at the meeting, stands by his claim that the works by renowned Vietnamese artists are authentic, despite disagreement from the art committee established by the museum.
The 17 paintings have sparked the interest of local experts, who have questioned their authenticity.
Experts said two of the 17 paintings appeared to be real but were signed with the names Ta Ty and Sy Ngoc.
Painter Nguyen Thanh Chuong, who was born in 1949, claims the painting signed with the name of Ta Ty is his own and was created in 1970.
The collection is currently being held by the museum pending further investigation.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Oanh, the wife of Vu Xuan Chung said that she and her husband were shocked after hearing from Trinh Xuan Yen, the museum’s deputy director, via a phone call after the meeting concluded.
“Though we are the owners, we were not invited to attend the meeting. We don’t agree with this conclusion. We have the certificates from the sellers to prove their authenticity,” said Oanh, adding that she would send the collection abroad to be independently inspected by international experts.
She added that she doubted the objectivity and ability of local experts and officials.
“There is no evidence or basis to prove the paintings in our collection are not authentic. We have known Jean-Francois Hubert from the auction house Christie’s Hong Kong since 2010 and we completely trust him and his inspection results,” she said, adding that she did not want to disclose the amount paid for the paintings, collected over the last four years.
The exhibition, the first to be held by the couple, opened on July 10. It included works by Vietnamese artists Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang, Bui Xuan Phai and other well-known painters who graduated from the Indochina College of Fine Arts.
Doubts about the collection surfaced when artist Chuong said his name and the year of completion on the painting “Abstract” had been erased and replaced with the name of artist Ta Ty.
He and his wife reported their concerns to the museum.
Chuong, who attended the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, has won several awards for his work. He said he was shocked to see someone else’s name on one of his paintings.
Chung, however, rejected Chuong’s claim, saying that Chuong could not have created such a beautiful painting when he was only 21 years old, while Vietnam was still at war and the country was suffering severe shortages.
The doubts led the museum to set up a committee, including members of the HCM City Fine Art Association and experts from HCM City University of Fine Arts and other researchers, to inspect the collection.
Visiting the museum after the conclusion was announced, artist Tran Hai Minh, said he believed that some of the paintings were authentic and others were fake.
Pointing to a painting by Bui Xuan Phai, Minh, who once studied in Europe and is familiar with Phai’s paintings, said he was sure it was genuine.
Close examination revealed the scratches and poor materials that Phai often used, including cartons that he had salvaged.
However Minh agreed with Chuong about the painting with Ta Ty’s name.
“The painting was, of course, created by artist Nguyen Thanh Chuong. The way of signing on the painting proves that it was not created by Ta Ty,” he said.
Responding to Chuong’s complaint, Hubert sent the collector a photograph proving that it was a painting by Ta Ty composed in 1952.
The photo shows Nguyen Ba Dam, Thai Ba Van, Bui Xuan Phai and Tran Quy Thinh in Ha Noi in 1972. The disputed painting can be seen in the photo.
Local artists however disagreed, saying the painting in the photo appears to have been Photoshopped.
Chuong said he had also found an authentic sketch of the painting and had shown it to the media.
Collectors Chung and Oanh said they had brought to the collection in HCM City so that the public could enjoy Vietnamese works that had not been exhibited.
“Not many Vietnamese people would have a chance to see them in their lifetime,” Oanh said.
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.