One hundred and seventy-eight Dong Ho and Hang Trong folk paintings are on display at the museum (97 Pho Duc Chinh St., Dist. 1).
The museum has invited artisan Le Dinh Nghien, who is one of the two oldest artisans of Hang Trong paintings, to demonstrate how to make a painting.
In addition, there are films showing the process of making Dong Ho and Hang Trong paintings.
Folklore paintings, as one of the traditional cultural and art heritages of Vietnam, have been a typical cultural feature in Vietnamese life since the 17th century. They are a combination of traditional cultural values with ancient artistic methods that have been created through the labor of past generations.
Dong Ho folk painting is very famous because Dong Ho is the only village where people know to make the “Dzo” painting with completely natural materials. The printing paper is made of bark of a tree called “Dzo.” The background paper is originally white. People use natural materials to change the colors of the papers which are usually orange, pink, yellow and purple, among others.
Colors of the painting are refined from various kinds of tree leaves, that people can easily find in Vietnam. Particular, the red color is taken from earth of hills and mountains; the black color is from coal of burned bamboo’s leaves; the glitter white color is made of sea shells. The colors are applied with a woodblock. A wide spectrum of colors can be made using mixing and multi-colored printing techniques.
The original point of Dong Ho folk painting is the durability of colors. The painting is covered by a layer of sticky rice paste (called “ho nep”) to protect the painting and their colors. They are so durable that it is very difficult to fade them, even with sunlight.
Dong Ho paintings reflect people’s innermost feelings, wishes, and simple dreams. Because the paintings appeal to so many people, they are available throughout the country, from the village markets to the cities.
Hang Trong paintings are also printed with black lines to form the basis for the color. But, unlike Dong Ho paintings, they are made by hand.Large sheets of imported paper and brightly colored paints are used for Hang Trong paintings. The content of these paintings are very much influenced by Chinese drawings.Hang Trong paintings are popular as worshipping paintings in temples. As such, the paintings are often hung in spacious living rooms or in holy places.
They have traditionally served the poorer classes and are made and sold in Hanoi.
Source: VNA
