Through the review of typical art works depicting the shape of the Vietnamese in history, the authors come to the conclusion that most of the works do not help the contemporary Vietnamese people visualize the shape, the stature and the life of their ancestors. It is the symbol of the allergy of image (picto-allergie). This phenomenon originated from such deep causes as the psychological fear of being portrayed or sculptured, dead or alive. The development of visual arts was greatly affected by the influence of Chinese art of painting, which tended to be stylized and symbolized, perpetual wars and the dominance of Confucian thought throughout the centuries. The consequence of the allergy of image has existed till now, especially in publishing industry where visual language is rarely expressed.