Paintings of King Ham Nghi auctioned in France

 Nineteen paintings by King Ham Nghi were sold for 330,000 EUR (352,000 USD) in total in an auction in Paris, France, on September 22.

Ham Nghi was the 8th King of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945), but reigned for only one year (1884-1885).

After the failure of a movement against the French colonial rule, he was captured and exiled to Algeria, then a colony of France, on December 12, 1888.

While exiled in Algiers, he learned painting and sculpture techniques and dedicated his entire life to intense artistic activities as a painter and a sculptor.

According to the French auction house Lynda Trouvé, this is the first time that such a large number of paintings by the late king is offered for sale. They belonged to Henri Aubé, a French military officer who was stationed in Hanoi between 1907 and 1909, and were discovered in the attic at his home.

During a visit to Vietnam, grandchild of King Ham Nghi, Dr Amandine Dabat, revealed that there are about 100 of his paintings that are still preserved./.

VNA