Archive, Artists

Nguyen Cat Tuong (Vietnam, 1912-1946), alias LeMur, was born in Son Tay. He graduated from the Indochina School of Fine Arts (fourth class, 1928-1933) where he was a fellow student of Nguyen Tuong Lan (1910-1942). Both belonged to the nationalist literary group, founded in 1932, the Tu Luc Van Doan (Autonomous Literary Group). It is not a known fact but of the 7 founding members of the movement, Nguyen Tuong Tam, Khai Hung, Nguyen Tuong Lan, Nguyen Tuong Long, Tu Mo, Nguyen Gia Tri and Nguyen Thu Lê, 4 were graduates (even if they did not graduate…) of the Hanoi School of Fine Arts. Nguyen Tuong Tam (1906-1963), better known as Nhat Linh, was the most active: he took over the periodical Phong Hoà (Morals), and created the periodical Ngay Nay (Today), whose existence was shortened by the French censorship (they were banned in 1934 and 1936 respectively). These newspapers were essential – the press was flourishing at the time – in promoting the ideals of Tu Luc Van Doan. And advocating the modernization of Vietnamese society, culture and literature implied “Recognizing the role of women in society as stated in point 6 of the movement’s “Ten Precepts to Ponder” established by Hoang Dao (one of Nguyen Tuong Long’s pen names) in 1936-1937. The choice of women’s clothing and therefore their visual inclusion in society is not negligible and Cat Tuong knew how to use these media to make it known.