Against All Odds

The profusion of art for sale here in Vietnam is something of a surprise for me. Although there are very few art galleries and even fewer art museums, the streets are practically overflowing with paintings, sculpture, and lacquerware for sale. Most of these are cheap reproductions of Western classic paintings (I already have my copy of Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss') such as Matisse, Dali, and Botero(?).

But the best thing about the art scene here is that it's remarkably affordable to have your photos, pictures from a book etc. turned into an oil painting. Walking along Bui Vien (part of the main tourist area) I found myself facing this:

I asked the artist (who happened to be the owner) if that piece had been commissioned by anyone. He shook his head, and said he couldn't remember where the source material had come from.

As it happens, the only official Jewish organization in this city that I'm aware of (Chabad) is three blocks away on Le Loi. The Jews denied all involvement. Stay tuned.