7- MAI TRUNG THỨ (1906-1980)
Portrait of Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, 1950
Ink and color on silk, signed and dated upper left
61 × 46 cm – 12 1/2 × 18 1/8 inch.
‘Portrait de Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga’ is a testament to the beauty and richness of a distinctive style that combines Western and Vietnamese influences, gracefully capturing everyday life and human emotions.
Mai Trung Thứ’s 1950 portrait of Madame Nguyễn Nguyệt Nga, for example, was created with the utmost care. It was a commissioned portrait, an unusual exercise for the artist. The work is imbued with great sensitivity, expressing feminine gentleness and beauty in all its simplicity. The woman is depicted in a carefully decorated interior, posed with the elegance befitting her social status. She is seated on a stool, arms and legs crossed, holding a booklet in her hand. The refinement of her outfit is matched only by the finess of the decoration adorning the carpet, or that of the ravishing pointed slipper. Her hand, delicately crossed over her mauve-toned áo dài over white pants, is adorned with a beautiful diamond, a rare detail in the artist’s work. Her graceful neck is adorned with a necklace of jade pearls.
Behind her, on a dresser, a vase of flowering branches and two books. The choice of colours creates a warm, evocative atmostphere, transporting the viewer into a moment of calm and tranquility. The woman’s hair is delicately pulled back into a bun, her lips are made up with red make-up and her posture epitomizes the elegance and refinement of Vietnamese high society.
Ms Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, Art Director of Aguttes standing by the artwork.
Aguttes’ catalogue cover of the auction on March 7.
Source: Aguttes
