Há»’ GƯƠM LAKE IN BEGINING 20 CENTURY   oil on canvas (65x 210cm)

Some historical notes about the painting “The old landscape Restore Sword Lake” Since many centuries, the Restored Sword Lake has contributed greatly to the beautiful scenery of the old capital Hanoi. A historical anecdote tells that the founder of the LE Posterior Dynasty when still being an ordinary person had caught a precious sword while netting. Later, when he was already King, during an excursion on the lake, a giant tortoise appeared before his boat. He drew his sword to threaten the big reptile who took of the weapon and disappeared into the waves. Hence the name Restored Sword lake.  in the last years of the 18 century, many traditional architectural monuments disseminated along the lake margin wonderfully and poetically harmonized artificial buildings with the nature landscape. Some of these, large and splendid, no more exist. Others cannot preserve their ancient majestic sizes. Besides, the Lake Configuration and surface has also suffered changes. On the painting, we see the famous Ngocson (jade Mountain) Pagoda. It is now no more pagoda, but a temple, i.e. Buddha are not worshipped, instead, the God of Literature is adored. It was built on a small island which was linked to the lake margin by a rudimentary bridge. Later on, This was rebuilt with slightly parabolic lines and named “Resting Dawn Bridge". The Subdued Waves Pavilion was a rather small rest pavilion where scholars liked to come with guitars and sing song girls to spend their leisure time. From the top of a stony monticle; a pyramidal tower dominates the entrance. The tower it self is topped by a gigantic brush which projects its shadow on an ink slab put on a nearby roof. Three big Chinese characters are seen on the tower: Writing on the blue sky. Before Ngocson temple stands another one named Ba kieu, built during the reign of Le Than Tong 16191628. Here, Princess Lieu Hanh, one of the Four immortals is worshipped. It would be big in the past, now it had been cut into two parts by a main thoroughfare: Dinh Tien Hoang Street. Beside, BaKieu temple, there are a small temple which is reserve to worshipped Mr. Alexandre de Rhodes who invented Vietnamese character (lettering). Now this monument was replaced by the new statue (Determined to die for the survival of the fatherland)

cac bai viet