Joseph Inguimberty, « The Exchange in the Village », 1927 and « The pond of Tonkin », 1928, two bursts of pure talent

We cannot praise Joseph Inguimberty enough for his qualities, his talent, his generosity, his demanding integrity, and his devotion to Vietnamese culture.

He arrived in 1925 to teach at the École des Beaux-Arts d’Indochine in Hanoi. He was immediately captivated by the beauty of the place and its people, a fascination that would permeate his work. This is particularly evident in our two paintings, which were created in the early years of his stay, which ended in 1946.

Early and enthusiastic collectors purchased the works directly from the artist. The works have retained their original gilded wooden frames.

The artist painted on linen canvases covered with a layer of white primer, which was unusual in the 1920s because, since the second half of the 19th century, most canvases were prepared industrially, and artists bought them as they were.

This shows the care with which Inguimberty “prepared his materials.”

The frames feature a system of keys that can be used to tighten the canvas. This system was commonly used in Europe by the late 17th century, so it is likely that Inguimberty brought it with him to Vietnam.

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In both compositions, the artist uses a deliberately limited color palette. This choice stems from a clear desire to create an atmosphere of intimacy and serenity, emphasizing interiority and atmosphere over narrative brilliance. This reinforces the meditative dimension of the work.

A predominance of cool tones—mainly the blues of the sky and the greens of the vegetation—is reinforced by a range of nuanced grays that give the whole a chromatic homogeneity and an impression of visual calm. Far from impoverishing the image, this reduction in the color palette actually helps to focus attention on the interplay of light and shadow.

There is a contrast between the dazzling white of the roofs, the sky, and the pond, and the duller browns of the people, animals, and dense vegetation.

Through this interplay of chromatic tensions between light and dark, cold and warm, Inguimberty creates a subtle dynamic that does not disrupt the overall harmony but, on the contrary, highlights its subtle balances.

It should be noted that Inguimberty would amplify his contrast technique in his future works by using a brighter white, among other things.

Finally, Joseph Inguimberty paints with “flat colors” and “texture.” He treats his subjects with juxtaposed areas of color (more or less light) of the same hue but rarely blends them to create shadows or highlights. He begins with a base tone and returns to it either with areas of shadow or highlights of light.

He appears to use only brushes and a palette knife, not paintbrushes. The brushes are clearly broad, as there are no details to specify, and are used for the figures and to establish the basic tones. Then, the artist returns to the palette knife to shape the material.

Houses, trees, ponds, people, animals, hoes, baskets: everything is the result of careful observation by a man who stepped outside himself and observed.

And loved, passionately.

Nguyen Gia Tri and To Ngoc Van, as well as Luong Xuan Nhi, would remember the master and his teachings in their respective works.

Everything here is natural. Unlike later in the work, when Inguimberty will call on extras, notably Kim-Liên, no one is posing here.

An aesthetic and emotional crystallization.

In 1927 and 1928, Inguimberty treated us to two bursts of pure talent.

Jean-François Hubert