Nguyen Van Tho, better known as Nam Son, was born in Hanoi in 1890 and went to the High School of the Protectorate, where he was introduced to Western art. Attracted by drawing, he contributed to the illustration of numerous manuals, newspapers, and magazines. His predispositions allowed him to meet Victor Tardieu, winner of the Indochina Prize of 1920, who became his mentor. Alongside his master, the Vietnamese artist brilliantly painted in oil and exhibited his first paintings in 1923.

In 1924, the pupil and teacher together founded the Hanoi School of Fine Arts where both Western and Asian techniques, such as silk painting and lacquer, were taught. A veritable talent pool, the establishment later produced the ...