Frame size: 100 x 82 cm
Born in Hung Yen Province, Duong Bich Lien (1923-1988) was amongst the last graduating class of Ecole des Beaux Arts de l’Indochine. Together with Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Tu Nghiem and Nguyen Sang, they are regarded as the ‘Four Pillars’ of Vietnamese art, who although had learnt and expressed themselves in Western technique and medium, chose subjects that remained close to Vietnamese roots. In 1980, Lien’s painting won the first prize in the National Fine Art Exhibition. This work is almost severe in its muted tones and simplicity. The extremely limited colour palette, elimination of shading and shadows, the absence of details such as facial features or expressions of the two figures, and the focus on form, contribute to the economical treatment which Lien has employed.
