Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts Director Nguyễn Anh Minh (left) and chairman of Việt Nam Fine Arts Association Lương Xuân Đoàn exchange document at receive ceremony. Photo VNFAM

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts has received nearly 1,000 artworks handed over by the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association, marking the largest donation in the museum’s history and significantly enriching the national collection.

The handover, held on January 12, comprises works created by artists from different generations over the past 60 years. Selected from the association’s collection, the artworks span painting, graphic art, sculpture and ceramics.

According to museum director Nguyễn Anh Minh, the scale of the donation is unprecedented for the institution. Based on market estimates, the total value of the collection is believed to reach several hundred billion Vietnamese đồng.

“This number of artworks has great significance and value,” Minh said. “This is a national asset, and the museum will take responsibility of preserving and promoting it effectively in the years to come.”

The collection of modern paintings and sculptures by successive generations of artists vividly reflects the historical development of Vietnamese fine arts. It includes works by artists who shaped the nation’s art scene in both wartime and peacetime, among them those who matured during the resistance war against French colonial rule, such as Ngô Mạnh Lân, Nguyễn Thanh Châu and Trọng Cát.

The donation also features works by established artists recognised for abstract and expressionist styles defined by distinctive colours and strong personal identities, including Trần Lương and Lê Quảng Hà.

In addition, the collection introduces works by younger contemporary artists such as Đỗ Hiệp and Trịnh Minh Tiến, whose pieces are being added to the museum’s holdings for the first time. It also contains a group of graphic artworks by foreign artists.

“These artworks represent the fruits of sustained creative labour by artists across generations,” said Lương Xuân Đòan, chairman of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association. “Many of them were produced during artistic residencies, while others have previously been presented to the public at various exhibitions, including national and regional shows.”

Thirty selected works from the collection are currently on display at the museum at 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street until January 17. — VNS