Footnotes

The work is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity issued by Arch Angel Art Gallery, dated May 8, 2008.

Provenance
Arch Angel Art, Hong Kong
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner
Private collection, Hong Kong

Literature
Fine Arts Publishing House, Nhà Xuất Bản Mỹ Thuật, Tran Luu Hau 2003-2005, Vietnam, 2005, p. 34, illustrated in colour

陳留厚
Cat Ba島釣魷魚的漁人
2004年作

簽名：hau 04（左下）
油彩 畫布

來源
香港Arch Angel畫廊
現藏家購自上述畫廊
香港私人收藏

出版
美術出版社, Nhà Xuất Bản Mỹ Thuật, 《Tran Luu Hau 2003-2005》, 越南, 2005年, 第34頁, 彩圖

Through his career spanning over a half-century, Tran Luu Hau established himself as one of the most well-known Vietnamese artists. Born in 1928, he participated in the Resistance Class (Khao Khang Chien) organised by the pioneer artist To Ngoc Van during the First Indochina War. Between 1955 and 1962, he studied art and theatre design at the Surikov Fine Arts Institute of Moscow and had the opportunity to explore significant works of European art. Upon returning to Vietnam, Tran Luu Hau became a faculty member at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts. He was respected by many students for his strong support of their artistic efforts.

Tran Luu Hau used the term "abstraction of reality" to describe his style inspired by the works of post-impressionist and abstract expressionist artists like Henri Matisse, Chaim Soutine, and Willem de Kooning. Known for his prolific oeuvre characterised by the use of vivid colour palettes and bold brushstrokes, the artist strove to express his intense feelings and emotions in his artwork. His favourite subjects include self-portraits, flowers, still life, nudes, streets of Hanoi, and the places he had visited, such as Sapa, Ha Long Bay, and Cat Ba Island.

The artist's works have been featured at numerous international exhibitions and museums in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. His paintings can be found not only in the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum but also in private collections all over the world.