Henri Mège (1904-1984) - Indochina - Vietnam - Halong Bay

A fascination with travel and Southeast Asia is evident in this rare silk painting by Henri Mège (1904-1984) depicting a view of Halong Bay during the French Indochina period. Although Henri Mège rarely worked on silk, this piece is a fine achievement and bears both his Chinese and Western signatures. A dedication on the reverse, partially present and signed by the artist, is also included. The painted silk measures 28 cm high by 12 cm wide. 44 cm x 26 cm with frame.

Despite his artistic talents, Henri Mège joined the army and was sent to Indochina in 1931. He met important figures, including Emperor Bao Dai, and later married the grandniece of the last Viceroy of Tonkin. From an artistic point of view, he established close ties with one of Vietnam's most celebrated painters, Mai Thu. Henri Mège taught at the Saigon School of Fine Arts from 1950 to 1956. The close relationships he shared with many prominent figures in Vietnam and its way of life at the time, as well as his sensitivity, allowed him to capture a beauty of nature imbued with fragility and poetry.