War art opens window on past suffering

      A 40-year-old art collector has spent the last decade collecting long-lost paintings that depict both the sorrow and joy of the country’s military conflicts in the 20th century.
Poet and scriptwriter Doan Minh Tuan of HCM City was visiting the home of his friend, art collector Le Thai Son, when he suddenly burst into tears.
He was gazing at a painting of a class of students seated in a cramped underground tunnel, avoiding bombs during the American War.
"This is exactly what we had to suffer during the war," he told Son, whose house doubles as a private art gallery on Pham Ngoc Thach Street. "Many generations had to live and study like this."
The painting of the students by Hoang Dao Khanh of Ha Noi lacks bright colours, but has a somber and still tone befitting its subject matter.
A Ha Noi native, Son has lived in HCM City for many years now.
"Friends sometimes call me a madman, someone who spends a lot of time and mountains of money to buy unattractive paintings in poor condition and pile them up at home instead of buying gold, property or stock," he said.
But he perseveres. Each painting in Son’s collection is devoted exclusively to military conflicts from 1920 - 1975.
They all contain a memory and a story.
Some of them depict fighting scenes. But many of the works feature images of austere faces or rundown villages.
They are valued not only for their art but for their recording of historical events that changed a country.
Son recalled one eventful day in 2003, when veteran painter Nguyen Cao Thuong passed away.
When he contacted Thuong’s family, he discovered they had sold everything, not realising how rare and valuable his works were.
"A true love for paintings and Vietnamese culture helped me in my search," Son said.
When he began his quest for some of Thuong’s works, he had already been buying paintings for six years, many of which had ended up abroad, bought by foreigners.
Several works composed by veteran painters are in his collection, including those by Luu Cong Nhan, Ta Thuc Binh and Bui Quang Anh.
Priceless collection
His collection, which now numbers 300, contains work not only by celebrated painters, but also by soldiers, who recorded moving scenes of battle, work or leisure.
Though their style differs greatly from contemporary painting, Son said they are priceless. "No amount of money, really, can buy these."
Many of the paintings depict events during wars with the French and Americans and border conflicts with the Chinese.
"I want to open a window to the young on war and show them what the people had to suffer through," he said.
Beside paintings, he also collects sketches, including soldiers’ along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
"Talking about war, people around the world often think of Viet Nam," Son said, adding that many paintings about military conflicts in the country can be seen in museums and collections around the world.
Some of the owners are former soldiers who fought in Viet Nam and others who have memories of the country.
"But I don’t want my children or the young generation to visit foreign countries to see paintings about the war," Son said.
Convincing collectors or artists to sell their works, however, is not an easy task.
Researching and tracing the works, and finding the painters, many of whom are no longer alive, can be an arduous task for Son.
He often contacts the artists several times, chatting with them and listening to their war stories.
Because many of them are grateful that he listens and sympathises, they feel confident in releasing their works to him.
Besides Son’s collection, he has amassed many books that have helped him learn about art.
Museums have lent him several special volumes that aided his search for authentic paintings of the 20th century.
His eye for the real became even more precise after buying a fake painting and discovering three years later, after purchasing another work by the same artist, that the first had not been an original.
Lifelong passion
Born in a family of photographers, Son began paying attention to photos and paintings early on, but he only decided to become professional art collector at the age of 30.
Last year, the art world was pleasantly surprised when he opened his private gallery showcasing his entire collection.
"To impress amateurs is easy, but not at all for the professional world," Son said.
Although he is an avid collector, he has never painted himself.
"The self in each artist is great, and every painter has a different style, while a collector must have a comprehensive view of every style and school of painting," he said.
"My collection is not that large. I’m just a small speck of dust in a huge world of art collectors. I’m just a person who loves paintings and wants to collect wartime memories."