The Class List Of Students At The École Des Beaux-Arts D’Hanoi 1925-1945

11 May 2020 Off By Jean-François Hubert

Any ranking is, by its very nature, relative and subjective.

Students At The École des Beaux-Arts. Hanoi. 30’S
Students At The École des Beaux-Arts. Hanoi. 30’S

Though occasionally unfair, such a ranking is always instructive. The 5 to 0 star ranking that we are proposing here is based on several simple criteria:

  • The Quality of the artist’s works,
  • the Consistency of the artist’s output,
  • the Accessibility of the artist’s work
  • The Integrity of the artist’s heirs.

Much could be written about, or debated, as to the soundness for such a mode of ranking. Let us simply make clear that 5 star rankings would be accorded to the three leading artists, namely Le Pho, Nguyen Phan Chanh and Nguyen Gia Tri. This 5 star ranking would reflect their work as a whole but would not reflect the quality of every single one of their works. The nuance is important.

The absence of a star would evidence a total absence of reported works.

Our ranking uses the year by year list of students admitted (but not necessarily graduating from) the École des Beaux-Arts d’Hanoi.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : Mai Trung Thu, Le Pho, Le Van De, Nguyen Phan Chanh (AT THE BACK), Cong Van Chung, Victor Tardieu, Georges Khanh. Hanoi, 12 AUGUST 1930
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : Mai Trung Thu, Le Pho, Le Van De, Nguyen Phan Chanh (AT THE BACK), Cong Van Chung, Victor Tardieu, Georges Khanh. Hanoi, 12 AUGUST 1930

CLASS I (1925 – 1930)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Tuong Tam 
  2. Le Van De ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  3. Mai Trung Thu ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  4. Nguyen Phan Chanh ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  5. Le Pho ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  6. Georges Khanh ✭ ✭ 
  7. Cong Van Chung
  8. Le Anh Phan
ARCHITECTURE MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Xuan Phuong
  2. Le Quang Tinh

Nguyen Tuong Tam and Le Ang Phan left the course.

CLASS II (1926 – 1931)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. To Ngoc Van ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  2. Ho Van Lai
  3. Dang Tran Coc 
  4. Do Duc Thuan ✭ ✭ 
  5. Thang Tran Phenh ✭ ✭
  6. Nguyen Huu Dau ✭ 
  7. Nguyen Van Hong
  8. Ham Let
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Vu Cao Dam ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  2. Le Tien Phuc

Ham Let (Laos) left the course

CLASS III (1927 – 1932)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Tran Quang Tran ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  2. Le Thi Luu ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  3. Pham Huu Khanh
  4. Nguyen Hoa The
  5. Vu Tien Chuc
  6. Vu Dang Bon
  7. Pham Ngoc Kham
  8. Pham Tran Trung
  9. Nguyen Cao Luyen
  10. Nguyen Dinh Than
  11. Tin (Family Name Missing)

Six students graduated:

  1. Tran Quang Tran
  2. Nguyen Hoa The
  3. Pham Huu Khanh
  4. Vu Tien Chuc
  5. Vu Dang Bon
  6. Le Thi Luu

After passing the first year, Nguyen Cao Luyen changed his major into Architecture.

CLASS IV (1928 – 1933)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Truong The Hoan
  2. Tran Van Du
  3. Nguyen Van Thinh ✭ ✭ 
  4. Nguyen Tuong Lan ✭ ✭ 
  5. Nguyen Gia Tri ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  6. Nguyen Cat Tuong ✭ ✭ 
  7. Dan Hoai Ngoc ✭
  8. Doan Trieu Que
  9. Luu Dinh Khai ✭ ✭ 

Truong The Hoan, Nguyen Gia Tri, Doan Trieu Que left the course in 1930.

CLASS V (1929 – 1934)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Tran Binh Loc ✭ ✭ 
  2. Pham Hau ✭ ✭ ✭ 
  3. Nguyen Do Cung ✭ ✭ 
  4. Nguyen Van Long
  5. Pham Van Thuan
  6. Truong Dinh Hien ✭ 
  7. Nguyen Van Lang
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Tran Ngoc Quyen ✭ 

CLASS VI (1930 – 1935)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Khang ✭ ✭
  2. Le Van Ngoan
  3. Ngo Thuc Dung
  4. Nguyen Ba Hai
  5. Tran Van Minh
  6. Vu Dinh Ngoc
  7. Nguyen Anh ✭
  8. Thimonier (French)
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Dinh Khang
  2. Truong Dinh Y

CLASS VII (1931 – 1936)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Tran Van Can ✭ ✭ ✭
  2. Nguyen Gia Tri ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
  3. Luu Van Sin ✭ ✭ ✭
  4. Nguyen Van Tai
  5. Nguyen Thuy Nhan
  6. Vu Duc Nhuan
  7. Nguyen Trung Bang

Nguyen Trung Bang didn’t complete the 5-year course.

CLASS VIII (1932 – 1937)

  1. Luong Xuan Nhi ✭ ✭ ✭
  2. Do Dinh Hiep
  3. Nguyen Van Thau
  4. Nguyen Van Thieu
  5. Nguyen Van Khanh
  6. Ton That Dao ✭ ✭
  7. Le Yen ✭ ✭
  8. Nguyen Thi Nhung ✭ ✭

CLASS IX (1933 – 1938)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Duc Nung ✭ ✭
  2. Trinh Huu Ngoc
  3. Nguyen Van Riem
  4. Pham Thuc Chuong
  5. Nguyen Van Bai
  6. Nguyen Dung
  7. Hoang Lap Ngon ✭
  8. Le Van Hue
  9. Nguyen Nhu Hoang

CLASS X (1934 – 1939)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Hau Hinh (Lao)
  2. Vuong Huu Dung
  3. Nguyen Van Que
  4. U Van An
  5. Nguyen Van Yen
  6. Nguyen Van Mau
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Pham Gia Giang

CLASS XI (1936 – 1941)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Tien Chung ✭ ✭
  2. Nguyen Van Ty ✭ ✭
  3. Bui Trang Chuoc
  4. Hoang Tich Chu ✭ ✭ ✭
  5. Nguyen An Trung
  6. Trinh Van ✭ ✭
  7. Nguyen Khac Man
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Tran Van Lam

 Nguyen An Trung and Nguyen Khac Man didn’t complete the 5-year course

CLASS XII (1938 – 1943)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Van Binh ✭
  2. To Van San
  3. Nguyen Van Tiep
  4. Pham Xuan Thi
  5. Nguyen Van An
  6. Ho Van Thu
  7. Dang Quoc Hung
  8. Le Van Trung

Three students completed the 5-year course and graduated:

  1. Nguyen Van Binh 
  2. To Van San
  3. Nguyen Van An

CLASS XIII (1939 – 1944)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Sy Ngoc ✭ ✭
  2. Huynh Van Thuan
  3. Tran Dinh Tho ✭
  4. Pham Van Don ✭
  5. Nguyen Trong Hop
  6. Nguyen Van Muoi
  7. Tran Tan Thanh
  8. Vo Doan Giap
  9. Nguyen Tan Bau
  10. Nguyen Ky
  11. Pham Hau
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Thi Kim

6 students in total 12 didn’t complete the 5-year course:

  1. Nguyen Van Muoi
  2. Nguyen Ky
  3. Tran Tan Thanh
  4. Vo Doan Giap
  5. Nguyen Tan Bau
  6. Pham Hau

CLASS XIV (1940 – 1945)

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Nguyen Sang ✭ ✭
  2. Nguyen Van Lien
  3. Phan Tai ✭
  4. Nguyen Van Quang
  5. Suzy Monsarrat
SCULPTURE MAJOR:
  1. Diep Minh Chau ✭ ✭

Three students didn’t complete the 5-year course:

  1. Phan Tai
  2. Nguyen Van Quang
  3. Suzy Monsarrat 

CLASS XV (1941 – 1945)

On 9 March 1945, the Japanese coup d’état occurred. The school is closed.

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Huynh Van Gam ✭
  2. Bui Xuan Phai ✭ ✭
  3. Ta Thuc Binh
  4. Nguyen Tu Nghiem ✭ ✭
  5. Tran Du Hong
  6. Nguyen Ba Thuyet

Four students graduates:

  1. Huynh Van Gam ✭
  2. Nguyen Tu Nghiem ✭ ✭
  3. Ta Thuc Binh
  4. Bui Xuan Phai ✭ ✭

On 9 March 1945, the Japanese coup d’état occurred. The school is closed.

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Vo Lang ✭
  2. Dinh Minh
  3. Quang Phong
  4. Phan Thong
  5. Le Pha
  6. Nguyen Van Thanh
  7. Cao Xuan Hung
  8. Tran Phuc Duyen ✭
  9. Josette Delsalle (French)
  10. Simone Hou (Chinese-Vietnamese)

CLASS XVII (1943 – 1945)

On 9 March 1945, the Japanese coup d’état occurred. The school is closed.

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Mai Van Hien ✭
  2. Mai Van Nam
  3. Nguyen Tho
  4. Dang Thi Vien Chan
  5. Le Thanh Duc
  6. Than Trong Su
  7. Pham Tang
  8. Dao Huy Ngoc
  9. Yolande Saltet (French)
  10. Marcel Courtial (French)
  11. André Gironce (French)
  12. Truong Trong Minh

CLASS XVIII (1944 – 1945)

On 9 March 1945, the Japanese coup d’état occurred. The school is closed.

PAINTING MAJOR:
  1. Phan Ke An ✭
  2. Nguyen Van Thien
  3. Duong Bich Lien ✭ ✭
  4. Ton Duc Luong
  5. Phan Thi Thoa
  6. Nguyen Nhu Huan
  7. Tran Quoc An
  8. Kim Dong ✭
  9. Hortense Vouillon (French)
  10. Nguyen Dinh Dung
  11. Nguyen Tien Hoanh

Conclusion:

  • 149 successful candidates were admitted at the Indochina Fine Art School;
  • According to the official document in Vietnam 128 students would have obtained the diploma, including 118 in the painting major and 10 in sculpture major.  We consider that 97 students obtained the diploma for both majors.

Jean-François Hubert

CategoryLe Pho Luong Xuan Nhi Mai Thu Nguyen Phan Chanh Vu Cao Dam