The story behind the painting of Uncle Ho.

(Baonghean.vn) - Many prominent figures have depicted the image of President Ho Chi Minh, such as renowned painters To Ngoc Van and Tran Van Can, sculptors Diep Minh Chau and Nguyen Minh Dinh, war veteran painter Le Duy Ung, painter Huy Oanh, and Dao Duc... However, there is a lesser-known artist who has quietly worked with newspapers for many years, but painting about President Ho Chi Minh is also a source of deep respect and motivation for him. Among his many works, the propaganda painting "Lenin's Theses Reaches President Ho Chi Minh" won first prize at the 1979 national propaganda painting competition. That artist is journalist and painter Nguyen Minh Thong.

Youthful wishes

The author hails from Thai Hoa (Nghia Dan), a region of red basalt soil with many beautiful landscapes and a major industrial crop area of ​​the province. From a young age, one memory stayed with him and became his greatest wish: to meet President Ho Chi Minh in person. It was 1961, during President Ho Chi Minh's second visit to his hometown. At just eight years old, Thong was still innocently singing, "Who loves children as much as President Ho Chi Minh? Who loves Ho Chi Minh as much as the young children...?" Therefore, upon hearing that President Ho Chi Minh was visiting Dong Hieu Farm, Thong ran after the uncles and aunts, traveling over eight kilometers to see him. But then thousands of people from Nghia My, Nghia Thuan, and Thai Hoa communes flocked there... everyone wanting to meet and see President Ho Chi Minh. He couldn't push his way through the crowd and could only crane his neck to watch as the helicopter took off.

He left with regret and a burning desire: how could he see Uncle Ho in person? His second-grade homeroom teacher, Ms. Minh, encouraged him: "If you want to meet Uncle Ho, you must strive to become a 'Good Child of Uncle Ho' at the provincial level so you can go to Hanoi." So, Thong tried his best to be well-behaved, study hard, actively participate in the Youth Union activities, and, thanks to his early talent, volunteered to draw a wall newspaper for his class in the fourth grade. Therefore, in 1964, the young student Minh Thong had the honor of going to Vinh with several classmates to attend the Provincial Congress of Good Children of Uncle Ho. In the following years, he continued to strive for excellent academic results. Once, his initiative of using old batteries to make a telegraph bell was exhibited at a provincial teaching aids exhibition.

In 1971, the former student became a soldier, but Uncle Ho had passed away, and his childhood dream could no longer be fulfilled. His love and respect for Uncle Ho prompted him to paint his first portrait of the President in 1975, on the occasion of the Great Spring Victory, to give to his unit. It was a portrait of the President, over 2 meters tall, raising his hand in a salute, painted with paint on canvas. Interestingly, to this day, after 39 years, the painting is still carefully preserved at the Nghia Dan Military Command without ever being restored.

The student didn't dare...accept the award.

Continuing his childhood dream, after leaving the army, he enrolled in the Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts in 1977. In 1979, while in his second year (around March 1979), upon hearing that the Ministry of Culture was launching a nationwide propaganda painting competition on the theme of President Ho Chi Minh, he decided to participate. After many days of contemplation in the library, he realized that President Ho Chi Minh had made many great contributions to his life: founding the Party, bringing Vietnam's position to the international stage, educating and nurturing a generation of revolutionaries... among which finding the path to national salvation was extremely important. President Ho Chi Minh found Lenin's *Theses on the National and Colonial Questions* published in *Le Paria*, and he was so overjoyed that he wept. The student Minh Thong boldly incorporated this theme into his painting with four lines from Che Lan Vien's poem "The Man Who Sought the Image of the Nation": "The *Theses* reached President Ho Chi Minh, and he wept... Food and clothing are here!" "Happiness is here. The image of the Party is framed within the image of the nation; the first moment of tears is the moment Uncle Ho smiles." Perhaps, until that point, he was the first person to incorporate poetry into propaganda posters, and that was precisely the uniqueness of this young artist. Afterwards, he submitted his entry along with three other works, and... waited anxiously, although he didn't have high hopes.

Author Nguyen Minh Thong and his painting "Lenin's Theses Reaches President Ho Chi Minh"

A miracle happened when young artist Minh Thông won the prize, and not just one, but the highest prize, as his work "Uncle Ho is Uncle Ho Chi Minh" also won second prize. On the day of the awards ceremony, in the solemn meeting room of the Central Propaganda Painting Workshop, dressed in his faded green military uniform, the student lingered outside, hesitant to go in to receive the award because he saw so many senior figures like Dao Duc, Tran Van Can, Tran Tia, Van Giao, Huy Oanh... When the organizing committee announced his name, the senior figures were twice astonished to see a young student, still a "baby," consecutively receiving two top prizes, his face flushed bright red. Immediately afterward, the Nhan Dan newspaper interviewed him about his feelings when painting Uncle Ho, and the artist began by saying, "Dear gentlemen, uncles, and elders..." which made everyone burst into laughter.

Two works and unforgettable journeys.

Thus, at that year's exhibition, author Minh Thông won two awards. His work, "Lenin's Theses to Uncle Ho," won first prize. This was a propaganda painting with minimal colors (red, black, and violet), depicting Uncle Ho at the time of his participation in the Tours Congress (1924). The image was strong and decisive, with a resolute face and bright eyes. Most notably, it combined poetic language with propaganda art. His second-prize winning work, "Uncle Ho is Uncle Ho Chi Minh," portrayed Uncle Ho in a truly benevolent, approachable, and endearing way. What was special was that Uncle Ho's portrait was only shown in a dark brown color against the backdrop of the red flag with a yellow star. The author wanted to emphasize that our Uncle Ho always resided in the heart of the Fatherland, always dedicated to the country and the people.

The artwork that won second prize was respectfully chosen by the Central Propaganda Painting Workshop as a gift to the Ho Chi Minh Museum on its founding anniversary. The author was also invited to attend, where he was cordially received by Comrade Vu Ky and had the first opportunity to eat grapefruit from Uncle Ho's garden. Those grapefruit segments from that year are surely still sweet to this day. On the occasion of the 89th anniversary of Uncle Ho's birthday and the 10th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh's Last Will and Testament (1979), the artwork "Uncle Ho is Uncle Ho Chi Minh" was enlarged to 4m x 9m and hung in front of the Exhibition Center, at the Trang Tien intersection overlooking Ho Guom Lake. All the celebratory pennants hung along the main streets of Hanoi at that time used the image of Uncle Ho from this painting.

The first-prize winning painting, however, had an even longer journey, traveling to many socialist countries as gifts during visits, introducing to friends around the world the image of Uncle Ho in the early years of the revolution. The certificate from the Central Propaganda Painting Workshop clearly states: "Artist Nguyen Minh Thong collaborated with the Workshop in the years 1979, 1980, and 1981 to serve political propaganda work and sent to socialist countries..."

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's visit to his hometown (1957-2007), after 28 years, the painting "Lenin's Theses Comes to President Ho Chi Minh" returned to Nghe An province from the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum during the nationwide celebrations of the 117th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth. The artist recalled, "I was moved to tears when I saw again the work that was once my passion, painted with all my love and respect. Even more honorable, my work is proudly displayed alongside the names of the great masters of Vietnamese painting." Having traveled a historical journey, the painting "Lenin's Theses Comes to President Ho Chi Minh" has returned to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum – the highest honor for the country's renowned works of art. This year, on the occasion of the 124th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birth, many more groups will surely come to see the painting again and remember his life and work.

Cong Manh