Auction date and time:
9 October 2019 (Wednesday) | 14:30
Auction and exhibition venue:
Room 5, Drouot, 9 rue Drouot, 75009 Paris
Auction house specialist:
Charlotte Reynier-Aguttes
+ 33 1 41 92 06 49
reynier@aguttes.com
Dear collectors,
You are invited to an art journey - we would like to bring you to Vietnam, a beautiful place which is depicted in paintings by the talented Alix Aymé as she offered us a glimpse into the sweet, warm families living there. Along the way, you will encounter Le Pho, Mai Trung Thu and Vu Cao Dam, as well as Chinese-American artist Yun Gee.
If you wish to continue this memorable Asian art journey, don't forget to save the dates! On 19-20 October, Aguttes will continue to showcase masterpieces by celebrated artists including Chu Teh-Chun, one of the "Three Musketeers" of modernist Chinese artists trained in China and France, and Huang Yong Ping etc, concurrently with the FIAC Fair.
Featured lots by artists who travelled to France
Lot 1
Alix Aymé (1894-1989). Les premiers pas.
Ink and color on silk, signed lower right
Size: 51 x 38 cm
Provenance:
- Collection of a professor of Philosophy at the EFEO in the 1920s in Hanoi
- He and his wife are friends of the artist
- Brought to Marseilles in 1946 and passed down in the family since then
Estimate: €40,000 - 60,000
The decoration of the room is delineated in straight parallel lines, accentuating the curved forms of the three young women all turning towards the child. All three women have their backs to the garden, creating the impression of a rampart between this cherished baby and the outside world. This immerses the viewer in the warm, cosy atmosphere of everyday family life, and shows how the infant is protected by his mother. This relationship and maternal connection thus become the very essence and true subject of this painting on silk.
Lot 2
Le Pho (1907-2001). Jeune femme à l’éventail.
Ink and color on silk, signed lower right
Size: 37 x 30cm
Provenance:
- Private collection, Toulouse
Estimate: €100,000 - 120,000
Lot 3
Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000). Deux jeunes femmes (1939).
Terracotta, signed and dated at the bottom on the base
Height : 44.5 cm
Estimate: €50,000 - 80,000
Provenance:
- Gifted by the artist and preserved since then
- Private collection, Paris
This sculpture was made by hand without using a mould: a point emphasised by the artist whenever he mentioned "terra cotta, unique piece" in his writings. This sculpture can truly be considered a masterpiece, with its exquisitely executed modelling and incision.
The sculptor has marvellously and evocatively captured the relaxed grace and dignity of these two lovely, slender young women holding hands, one standing, the other sitting, their necks revealed in their Ao dais (traditional Vietnamese dresses). Their gentle, sensual faces inspire serenity, and their spontaneous gesture highlights their femininity.
Lot 5
Le Van De (1906-1966). Forêt tropicale du Vietnam (1937).
Folding screenin 3 panels
Mixed media with oil and gold and silver highlights
Signed situated Roma and dated on the right side
Size: 252.5 x 195.5 cm (total) ; 252.5 x 64.5 cm (each panel)
Provenance:
- Formerly in private collection, Italy
- Private collection, France
Estimate: €150,000 - 300,000
Here we find purely decorative motifs, like the volutes and stylised flowers of the foreground, mingled with highly realistically rendered plants. This creates a powerful impression of an imaginary, enchanted landscape, into which the viewer sinks with delight. The palette also plays on our perception of reality: the different shades of grey and delicate use of transparency contrast dramatically with the deep blacks and garish yellow, which bear no relation to reality.
Lot 6
Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980). Femmes au bain (1968)
Ink and color on silk
Signed and dated lower left
Monogramed titled and dated on reverse
In its original frame made by the artist
Size: 64.5 x 94,5 cm
Exhibition: La femme vue par Mai Thu, 21st may to 25th, Apesteguy à la Galerie Cardo Matignon, Paris
Provenance:
- Acquired in the exhibition during 1968-70 and preserved since then
- Private collection, Boulogne-Billancourt
Estimate: €80,000 - 120,000
Painted in 1968, Femmes au bain is a work revealing the dream-like atmosphere typical of Mai Thu’s depictions of his native land. The delicate lines and use of colour in his works give his figures a soft, elegant structure, and reflect both Western and Vietnamese influences. During this period, he produced a large number of works featuring the women of Hue and landscapes with the Perfume River. He went on several trips to Europe and America, and decided to move to Paris in 1936, though this did not affect his inspiration, as he continues to depict Vietnamese women, children, landscapes and temples.
Lot 9
Alix Ayme (1894-1989). Fillette à la tourterelle.
Lacquer, signed lower right.
Size: 45.5 x 38 cm
Provenance:
- Private collection, France
Estimate: €25,000 - 30 000
Lot 10
Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980). Les enfants. Conversation (1965)
Ink and color on silk
Signed and dated upper left
In its original frame made by the artist.
Size: 25 x 53.5 cm
Provenance:
- Acquired in 1980 in an exhibition at the Carlton in Cannes
- Gifted in 1996 to a private collection, Paris, and since then
Estimate: €40,000 - 60,000
Lot 11
Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980). La source (1966)
Ink and color on silk
Signed and dated lower right
Titled dated and monogrammed on reverse
In its original frame made by the artist.
Size: 67 x 46.5 cm
Provenance:
- Acquired in 1980 in an exhibition at the Carlton in Cannes
- Gifted in 1996 to a private collection, Paris, and since then
Estimate: €60,000 - 80,000
Lot 17
Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980). Femme aux coussins (1966)
Ink and colors on silk
Signed and dated lower right
Titled and dated on reverse
In its original frame made by the artist
Size: 24 x 40.5 cm
Provenance:
- Acquired in 1980 in an exhibition at the Carlton in Cannes
- Gifted in 1994 to a private collection, Paris, and since then
Estimate: €35,000 - 50,000
Lot 20
Vu Cao Dam (1908-2000). Maternité au cavalier.
Oil on panel
Signed, localized nand dated lower right
Size: 61 x 46.5 cm
Provenance:
- Gifted by the artist and preserved since then
- Private collection, South of France
Estimate: €25,000 - 35,000
Featured lot by artist who travelled to America
Lot 31
Zhu YuanZhi, Dit Yun Gee (1906-1963). Portrait de femme (circa 1935-40).
Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard
Signed lower left
Size: 61.5 x 45 cm
Estimate: €50,000 - 80,000
Provenance: Private collection, France
Yun Gee developed a unique style inspired by Chinese painting, modern American schools and Western Old Masters. He was caught up in the effervescent spirit of early 20th century Paris, and rubbed shoulders with prominent figures like Ambroise Vollard, the dealer of well-known artists like Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse. His art thus became a symbiosis of all these different inspirations: "Through the museums and galleries, my eyes were soon opened to their great achievements and to the unlimited possibilities of painting in oil. Observing the similarities and dissimilarities between the arts of the two cultures, I determined to create a technique and philosophy of art which would transcend the differences or bridge the gap."
Auction details:
Auction House: Aguttes
Exhibition time:
- 7 October 2019（Mon）｜11am - 6pm
- 8 October 2019（Tue）｜11am - 12pm
Transportation:
- Metro: lines 7, 8, 9, 12
- Richelieu-Drouot stop (lines 8, 9)
- Le Peletier stop (line 7)
- Notre-Dame de Lorette stop (line 12). Bus: 20, 39, 42, 48, 67, 74, 85
- 24-hour car park: 12, rue Chauchat - 75009 Paris.
Auctioneers:
Claude Aguttes
Sophie Perrine