Ham Nghi was the 8th King of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945), but reigned for only one year (1884-1885).
After the failure of a movement against the French colonial rule, he was captured and exiled to Algeria, then a colony of France, on December 12, 1888.
While exiled in Algiers, he learned painting and sculpture techniques and dedicated his entire life to intense artistic activities as a painter and a sculptor.
According to the French auction house Lynda Trouvé, this is the first time that such a large number of paintings by the late king is offered for sale. They belonged to Henri Aubé, a French military officer who was stationed in Hanoi between 1907 and 1909, and were discovered in the attic at his home.
During a visit to Vietnam, grandchild of King Ham Nghi, Dr Amandine Dabat, revealed that there are about 100 of his paintings that are still preserved.
