hanoi vietnamconcept:era modern
Streets of Hanoi — Bùi Xuân Phái (c.1970s)
Oil painting by Bùi Xuân Phái (1920-1988) depicting the Old Quarter (phố cổ Hà Nội) streets of Hanoi, created during the 1970s when the artist was in his mature period working under socialist austerity. These works — collectively known as 'Phố Phái' (Phái's Streets) — depict the tile-roofed shophouse streets of Hanoi's 36 guilds quarter with a characteristic atmosphere of melancholy, warmth, and urban poetry. Typical format: small-to-medium oil on canvas or board, muted palette of earth tones, grey, and faded ochre with isolated color accents.
Scholarly Significance
Anchor the 'Phố Phái' (Phái's Streets) genre of Hanoi cityscape painting by Bùi Xuân Phái, one of the defining artistic traditions of Vietnamese 20th-century urban culture.
Notes
- ·'Phố Phái' has become a recognized art historical term in Vietnam, defined by: Hanoi's Old Quarter streets; muted, weathered palette; thin gestural brushwork; empty or sparsely populated streets; melancholic atmosphere.
- ·Bui Xuan Phai also painted hát chèo (traditional Vietnamese folk theater) figures and self-portraits, but the street paintings are his most iconic works.
- ·After Đổi Mới (1986 reform), a collector culture around 'Phố Phái' developed rapidly; his market value rose steeply in the late 1980s and 1990s.
- ·The 2016 Hanoi auction of a Bui Xuan Phai street painting at Sotheby's Hong Kong established significant international auction prices for his work.