“Le bain” was created around 1938, during the early stages of Le Pho’s career when he was still living and working in Vietnam. The work was made on silk, combined with ink, gouache and watercolor, measuring 61x45.5cm. The painting depicts a poetic everyday scene: a mother is bathing her child, in the distance is a woman in a yellow shirt washing clothes by the water.
The layered composition creates depth, the perspective is flexible and gentle according to the East Asian tradition, evoking a sense of peace, closeness and homeland. This is a carefully calculated composition, imbued with the East Asian spirit that Le Pho pursued throughout his career.
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The work "Le bain" by famous painter Le Pho (1970-2001) at the auction. |
Mr. Le Quang, Chairman of Le Auction House, who attended the auction in Aguttes, Paris, said that with more than 2 million Euros for a silk painting, it shows that Indochina art, specifically Vietnamese silk paintings, is gradually gaining a worthy position on the global map. And Le Pho continues to affirm his position as one of the most highly collected and appreciated Vietnamese artists on the international art market, while adding to the success of early Indochina silk works on the modern auction floor.
Also at the auction, another work by Le Pho, “La Lettre” (The Letter), went under the hammer for 330,000 Euros, surpassing its initial estimate of 200,000 to 300,000 Euros. After fees and taxes, the total payment for the work amounted to 429,000 Euros, a convincing testament to the enduring appeal of Indochinese art on the global market.
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The work "Letter" by famous painter Le Pho (1970-2001) at the auction. |
Composed around 1944, “La lettre” depicts a young woman pensively reading a letter, with delicate features and a poetically tilted posture - a style typical of Le Pho during his time with Galerie Romanet. The ink and color on silk, along with the original wooden frame from the Romanet period, highlight the light and ethereal atmosphere that Le Pho had painstakingly built over decades of work.
Along with that, the work “Phong canh lang qua” (Paysage d'un village), a six-panel lacquer screen, by artist Le Quoc Loc (1918-1987) was successfully auctioned for 223,000 Euros. This is a clear demonstration affirming the value of Indochina lacquer art, a unique material of 20th century Vietnamese fine arts.
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The work "Countryside Scenery" by painter Le Quoc Loc (1918-1987). |
Countryside Scenery is a screen consisting of 6 panels, each measuring 100x32.5cm, totaling up to 100x195cm - a large-scale work made on lacquer material, which is Le Quoc Loc's forte. Composed in 1942, the painting depicts a peaceful countryside scene along the Mekong River, with thatched roofs, rows of trees, ferry, village roads... all appearing simple but evocative in a coherent overall composition, restrained in color and emphasizing the depth of space - typical of the Indochinese lacquer style during its heyday.
According to Mr. Le Quang, this is a masterpiece, achieving a harmony between traditional lacquer techniques and modern inspiration, both highly decorative and deeply conveying the peaceful, simple, yet powerful spirit of the Vietnamese countryside.
In addition to its artistic value, the painting also has great collectible value as it was once in a private collection in Saigon (collected before 1946), then transferred to France and passed down through inheritance until today.
The organizer said that buyers of the work will receive a certificate confirming that the painting will be included in Le Pho's official catalogue raisonné, which is currently being produced by Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, representative of the Association of Asian Artists in Paris.
The auction not only recorded impressive numbers but also showed the steady growth of Vietnamese art.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/tranh-cua-le-pho-vuot-moc-2-trieu-euro-gay-an-tuong-tai-aguttes-phap-post879947.html
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