After Aguttes Auction House had introduced the auction catalogue “PEINTRES D’ASIE, ŒUVRES MAJEURES – ASIAN ARTISTS, SIGNIFICANT WORKS – 亞洲繪畫 • 經典傑作 [37]” with 28 lots including 28 works, only one painting was by Chinese painter Sanyu (1895-1966). 27 works was by Vietnamese painters including Lê Phổ, Mai Trung Thứ, Lương Xuân Nhị, Trần Văn Thọ, Lê Thy, French female painter Alix Aymé… and some very attractive paintings, unknown artists.
Viet Art View had a conversation with a major collector in Hanoi. He said that he noticed the painting “Mère et enfant dormant – Mother and sleeping child”, silk, 1944, 54.6×45.2 cm.
Mai Trung Thứ. Mother and sleeping child. 1944. Silk. 54.6×45.2 cm
In fact, with the eyes of a perennial collector; who has a lot of classic, precious paintings to most famous Vietnamese artists, the painting “Mère et enfant dormant” will obviously be the most outstanding in terms of both artistic value and historical value.
In the catalogue of Galerie d’Art Pasteur, exhibited in the capital Alger (from 1942-1944), the painting with the original name “Maternité – Mother and child” is numbered 21. And the painting “L’écharpe bleue” is numbered 19.
Thus, “Mère et enfant dormant – Mother and sleeping child” is the silk painting which has a very good origin; classic maternal theme; was painted near almost 90 years ago; large size (compared to other silk paintings by Mai Trung Thu); typical shape language for the “Romanet period” of Mai Trung Thu. A picture that deserves to be in a large collection – in every sense.
The picture depicts a happy and warm scene with the image of a mother in a green áo dài, holding a paper fan, gently making a cool breeze, keeping a good sleep for her little son…
Some (Western) art critics believe that in this painting, Mai Trung Thu uses a Western visual style. For example, the use of strokes is compared with the folds of clothes in the style of Greco-Roman statues; while the shapes use the pyramid layout. But in truth, the shape in most of Mai Trung Thu’s paintings is bold in the style of Vietnamese decorative patterns. This painting is even more bold in Vietnamese visual style.
Looking at the paintings, Viet Art View thinks of the image of the Amitābha in Vietnamese Buddhist sculpture with the soft folds of the mother’s shirt and pyramid layout, benevolent and gentle face… The figures are flexible and graceful.
Amitābha statue in Phật Tích pagoda, Bắc Ninh
“Mère et enfant dormant – Mother and sleeping child” is the painting with the highest estimated price in the auction, from 350k to 550k euros. The hammer price could be even higher.
Currently, the global economy is slowing down, but the prices of precious works always have advantage over other forms of investment because it begins from the passion and deep understanding of the culture of the collectors themselves …
And hopefully, in the match on March 6, 2023 of Aguttes, “Mère et enfant dormant – Mother and sleeping child” will return to the new gentleman with a new appropriate value…
Written by Viet Art View
Copyrights belong to Viet Art View
