ORSOLA AND AUGUSTE
THE THOLANCE-LORENZI COLLECTION: A POWERFUL DESTINY

The story of the Tholance-Lorenzi collection and their lives, perfectly illustrate a passion for Vietnamese painting, and one that is enduring and is passed on generation after generation.

First, let's talk about these characters, this elegant gentleman and this demure lady, who together created a magnificent collection with taste and prescience. The wife, Orsolla Guglielmi (1888-1968), was born in a small village in the beautiful island of Corsica, and she married Paul Lorenzi, who thereafter got sent to Vietnam in 1908 as a customs officer. Their son was born in Hanoi in 1909 before Paul Lorenzi was killed during the Great War of 1914-1918. In the early twenties, the widow Mrs Lorenzi met Auguste Tholance (1878-1938) who arrived in Vietnam earlier in the century and was on the way towards a promising career as a French public servant. Both previously widowed (he had two children) they were determined to leave behind the pains in order to build together a brighter future. They both had a passion for art and the deep understanding of Vietnamese culture. In the twenties in Vietnam, the study of art was in full effervescence: Henri Parmentier already published his Inventory of Cham's Sites in Annam, Jean- Yves Claeys was searching Tra-Kieu, Louis Pajot discovered Dong Son, the so called Tan Hoa ceramics were described by Pouyanne. All these discoveries generated enthusiasm, stimulation and fascinated the Tholance-Lorenzi couple. They started collecting ceramics from the Ly and Tran periods and were fascinated by Cham and Khmer statues.

Mrs Orsolla-Tholance encouraged the then French Governor General, Martial Henri Merlin to sign the order dated 27 October 1924 to create in Hanoi the Fine Art School of Indochina, under the aegis of Victor Tardieu. As time would tell, this institution will become the centre for many great artists during the 20th century, heralding a new birth of art in Vietnam.

As time went by, Auguste Tholance proved to be an outstanding public servant. In 1930, he becomes the Cochinchina Governor and would be a resident of Tonkin from 1931 to 1937. During all these years, Orsolla and Auguste Tholance learned and developed a deeper understanding as they met artists, followed their exhibitions, and promoted their work and also led to the acquisition of major art pieces. In 2014, Christie's was honoured to present the major art pieces from this collection: in which there was an extraordinary oil on canvas View from the Hilltop by Le Pho which currently remains the artist's world record for an oil on canvas. Mrs Tholance was the godmother and Le Pho became the godfather of their grandson. One of the lithographs (Lot 429) was dedicated to Mrs Tholance-Lorenzi's grand-daughter, and is signed "Uncle Le Pho" and shows the deep and abiding friendship they had. The fundamental understanding is in the symbiosis created between the artist and his collector. The deep respect and the affection is clearly demonstrated in the high quality and a work so atypical such as Le Petit Garçon (The Little Boy) (Lot 404), an exquisite painting where Le Pho sets a Hmong cap on the child's head which was commonly in Sapa at the time (circa 1937); and Le Vase de Bronze (The Bronze Vase) (Lot 405) expressing his admiration for ancient China with a Chinese archaic vase, and clearly seen again in the painting with the artistic silhouette of a Chinese lady. Also, on one of his lithographs, the artist specifies that he himself did all the touch-ups which makes the work "unique".

Three artworks, three masterworks, three gifts the artist offered the family or their descendants glorifying the great talent and love shared by Le Pho.

Jean-François Hubert
Senior Expert, Vietnamese Art