4 master painters’ works on show in HCMC

‘Hon Xua Ben La’ (Timeless Souls: Beyond the Voyage), organized by art broker Sotheby’s at a downtown hotel from July 11 to 14 features 56 works by the four Vietnamese masters.

Sotheby’s borrowed them from 10 private collectors in Vietnam, and, according to Ace Le, the independent curator of the exhibition, it is the first time the works have been presented to the public without being offered for sale.

‘Hai Thieu Nu Tren Cau’ (Two girls on a bridge), a work by Mai Trung Thu. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Sotheby’s said the quartet often channeled a sense of nostalgia for Vietnam in their art and included elements of the country’s life and culture in their subject matter.

The organizer received thousands of registrations forcing it to limit the number of visitors to 3,000.

According to the curator, the works of the four artists are so precious they are not available for the public to see, and collectors who buy them tend to display them in private houses.

Sotheby’s is one of the world’s largest art and antiques auction houses with a presence in 40 countries and territories. Last year its revenues topped US$5 billion from paintings alone.