(The auction on September 26, 2023 at Aguttes, titled ASIAN PAINTERS, MAJOR WORKS [39])
Maybe you have seen a lot of paintings by the quartet Phổ–Thứ–Lựu–Đàm, sometimes you feel they are no longer so much attractive. That’s true but not enough. Viet Art View’s favourite words are of Aguttes’ Art Director, Ms Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier: “If the signatures that punctuate the catalog are familiar to us, each work is unique!”
Of the total 76 lots in the entire auction, Mai Trung Thứ has 19, Lê Phổ 8 and Vũ Cao Đàm 4. If we consider quantity, a large number does not necessarily mean there are outstandingly beautiful and rare works. But in the auction number 39, in addition to the “beauty queen” ace Still life of peonies and potted plants by Lê Phổ; There is also the theme of young women, the peak of Mai Thứ’s Romanet period, created in the early 1940s. Not only that, Mai Thứ’s works of children in this exhibition are excellent.
STILL LIFE OF PEONIES AND POTTED PLANTS OF LÊ PHỔ
First, it must be affirmed that this is a rare painting created by Lê Phổ in 1935, the work Still life of peonies and potted plants belongs to the artist’s early period of painting. This period was a combination of learning from European painting styles and techniques (which he discovered during his trip in 1931) with purely Vietnamese themes.
LÊ PHỔ (1907-2001). Nature morte aux pivoines et plante en pot, 1935. Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right
65,7×45,3 cm — 25⅞×18 in. Provenance: Nguyen Sang’s personal collection (received from his father, who had owned it since around 1940
according to family tradition); Private collection, France (acquired by an art-loving friend in Saigon in the 1980s, brought back to France and kept ever since).
“He gradually shaped his style and discovered his abilities. If oil was the artist’s favorite creative medium at the end of his career, it was very rare during this period. Lê Phổ rarely painted oil paintings in Việt Nam, not only for technical reasons—oil is not suitable for the hot and humid climate—but also because customers prefer silk paintings.”
A surface is not visually appealing as silk paintings, but we all know that what makes a valuable work depends on the historical context of the artist’s work.
The details and color scheme used by Lê Phổ in Still life with peonies and potted plants have many similarities in image and style in the painting Hà Nội, created in 1929, oil on canvas, dimensions 205×441 cm, currently in the collection: Cité Internationale Universitaire, Paris, France – Paris International University, in Paris, France.
Collectors who have a thorough and profound understanding of Lê Phổ painting will certainly be very interested in having the opportunity to own this still life.
PAINTINGS BRINGING MESSAGE OF HAPPINESS AND JOY FROM IMAGES OF CHILDREN AT PLAY
We often admire the beautiful works of graceful, elegant young women of the Romanet period of Mai Trung Thứ. This was his peak romantic period.
But “Mai Trung Thứ has always been strongly committed to peace and the independence of Việt Nam, and it’s with this in mind that he collaborates with UNICEF and paints numerous scenes of children’s games to raise awareness among Western audiences. This brought him great notoriety and enabled him to publicize his political and social battles.”
MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906-1980). Children climbing tree. Ink, colour on silk, signed and dated lower right. In original frame made by the artist. 53×44.5 cm — 20⅞×17½ in.
A certificate of inclusion in the artist’s raisonné currently being prepared by Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier for the Association of Asian Artists in Paris
will be presented to the buyer. Provenance: Private collection, South France (acquired in 1970 from Cannes gallery); then inherited, South France.
Among the quartet of artists living abroad, Mai Trung Thứ was the only one who returned to Việt Nam, to visit his homeland in 1974. The trip also included sculptor Điềm Phùng Thị.
Paintings lot 8, 11, 16 according to Viet Art View’s assessment are Mai Trung Thứ’s great works of humanity, the message of peace, happiness, and prosperity for children. Intense emotion covers the entire soul of the viewer. It is not only analyzed in terms of technique, visual language, style, manner, or color scheme, but it is a song full of the greatest wishes from ancient times to modern times of all peoples in the world.
MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906-1980). Enfants jouant dans la campagne, 1971. Ink and color on silk, signed and dated lower left. In its original frame made by the artist.
66,5 × 94 cm — 26⅛ × 37 in. A certificate of inclusion in the artist’s raisonné currently being prepared by Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier for the Association
of Asian Artists in Paris will be presented to the buyer. Provenance: Agesteguy Gallery, Deauville; Private collection (acquired from previous collection before 1980);
Private collection, Southeast France (as a gift of the previous collection in 1998)
MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906-1980). La ronde des enfants, 1965. Ink and colors on silk, signed and dated lower left, 82,3×93,3 cm — 3¼×36¾ in.
Provenance: Private collection, South of France (acquired in 1970 from Galerie de Cannes). Then by descent, South of France.
And you may see, it is very Vietnamese, imbued with Vietnamese images and culture. It is highly collectible and will add dignity and quality to any art collection.
NATIVITY – A PAINTING WORTH BUYING
Alix Aymé, is a familiar name and receives love from art lovers in Việt Nam because her paintings are closely associated with Indochina, in which Việt Nam certainly occupies the most important position.
Alix Aymé is good at all materials. This is not controversial. From oil – a classic Western material to silk – Eastern and especially with lacquer, she has made great marks, contributing to bringing Vietnamese lacquer painting to a new level.
ALIX AYMÉ (1906-1980). Nativity. Ink and colour on silk, signed lower right. 34.4×19.5 cm —
13⅝ × 7⅝ in. Provenance: Private collection, France.
The silk painting Nativity has one of the subjects that Alix often paints with deep devotion and respect. Virgin Mary is portrayed in the image of a woman wearing a flowing white outfit, holding a plump, rosy Christ Child in her arms.
A group of people are kneeling and bowing, looking respectfully at the two central characters. The typical French landscape is in the distance; but the image of the Virgin Mary makes the viewer think according to the individual’s (national) sense.
With the profound message of the work, the developments on the painting’s surface, and the extremely attractive starting price, perhaps this beautiful painting will be desired by a lot of art lovers to own for themselves.
LACQUER PAINTING ON A CABINET DOOR BY LÊ QUỐC LỘC
When Viet Art View sent a picture of the landscape painting on a lacquered wooden cabinet door, artist Lê Huy Văn could not hide his emotions. He expressed his excitement when he encountered images of his father—artist Lê Quốc Lộc’s work, with decades ago.
LÊ QUỐC LỘC (1918-1987). Cabinet in polychrome lacquered wood with gold and silver highlights, opening with two doors
revealing two compartments and eight drawers, the front and sides decorated with a stream with bocage banks, fields, rice paddies,
and in the background thatched cottages framed by mountains. Unsigned. 140×105×37 cm — 55⅛ × 41⅜ × 14⅝ in.
This is a typical Indochine period cabinet, decorated with a lacquer painting. Multi-purpose, creative design with many small compartments, suitable for storing many types of objects such as papers and jewelry. Starting from the concept that art must be highly applicable, rich people [at that time] did not have the concept of painting to collect; thus creating a demand for combination products. The paintings are shown on the surface of products such as screens, cabinets, tea table top cabinets, boxes, trays, plates… inherited by Vietnamese lacquer artisans, then lacquer artists from Indochina Fine Arts College, to be continued, and created on a new level, combining lacquer painting and applied design.
There will be some opinion that this is a purely decorative product on a cabinet, so it is just a fine crafts product. In fact, in Việt Nam, this is accepted and this kind of work is collected very naturally. And the collectors must have their own reasons.
No matter where a painting is located or what product it is attached to, it must still be a beautiful work, with creative artistic value of the artist individual.
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ASIAN PAINTERS, MAJOR WORKS
Expert Asian painters
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier
+33 1 41 92 06 49 – reynier@aguttes.com
ASIAN ART
Head of Asian Art
Clémentine Guyot
+33 1 47 45 91 54 – guyot@aguttes.com
ASIAN WEEKS
Public exhibition
Monday September 18 to Wednesday September 27: 10am – 1pm and 2pm – 5:30pm (except weekends)
Written by Viet Art View
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