Visual and Invisible Aesthetic Values in the Murals of An Định Palace, Vietnam

Abstract

Mural paintings in An Định Palace include decorative floral arrangements, European motifs combined with Huế's traditional motifs, especially the six landscape paintings of the mausoleums of the six former emperors of the Nguyễn Dynasty. They were drawn with oil paint applied directly on the walls of the interior space in the Khải Tường pavilion. The works reflect the values of human life, aesthetic ideals, the East-West visual aesthetics, and the unique aesthetic and French cultural influences upon Emperor Khải Định. Through the murals, he expressed deep memories of his ancestors. Additionally, these six landscape paintings imply the topic of mausoleums - which indicates the world of death and its heavy atmosphere. It brings the hidden aesthetic codes, especially arising from the life and the physiology of Emperor Khải Định, which have been left unanswered.