{"id":4358,"date":"2019-07-18T10:13:51","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T10:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/?p=4358"},"modified":"2023-07-23T07:41:38","modified_gmt":"2023-07-23T07:41:38","slug":"4358","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/?p=4358","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/22BA79EE-E25F-4373-9A36-AA9C19CE9CD7-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"2560\" width=\"2560\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t<p><strong>Le Pho&#8217; s Three Periods: Early Works &#8211; Romanet &#8211; Findlay<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If we consider Le Pho&#8217;s work over his life (1907-2001), three periods appear, each with a distinct history and style.\u00a0The<strong>\u00a0first period<\/strong>\u00a0from the late 20&#8217;s till 1945 is qualified as \u00ab\u00a0early works\u00a0\u00bb,\u00a0<strong>the second period, 1946-1962, named the Romanet&#8217;s period<\/strong>\u00a0and finally,\u00a0<strong>the Findlay&#8217;s period<\/strong>\u00a0from 1963 to his death in 2001.<\/p>\n<p>The three periods are justified each by very distinct styles.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_9424-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"LE PHO (VIETNAM, 1907-2001)\nLe Concert\nsigned 'Le pho', signed again in Chinese (upper centre); inscribed 'Le Concerte No 62' (on the reverse)\none seal of the artist\nink and gouache on silk laid on board\n60 x 50 cm. (23 5\/8 x 19 5\/8 in.)\nPainted in 1938\none seal of the artist\nGalerie Romanet, Algiers\nAcquired from the above by the previous owner, 1942\nPrivate Collection, Europe\nAlgiers, Galerie Romanet &amp;amp; Galerie Pasteur, 'Le Concert' 1941-1942\nIt is agreed today that the life of the great Vietnamese painter, Le Pho, can be divided into three distinct periods. In our regular meetings and discussions previously he agreed on this chronology of his entire oeuvre. Each period can be classically named and dated with their specific distinctive identifying characteristics. \nThe first period begins with his years of training in Hanoi's School of Fine Arts (1925-1930) all the way to the early 40's. Le Pho clearly favoured the practice of oil on canvas, avoiding working with too much traditional Vietnamese lacquers due to his allergies but, gradually, he specialized in gouache and ink on silk. Beyond the techniques, his work was always marked by a strong and marked Mandarin solemnity, reflecting his scholarly background. \nThe second period, from 1945 to the very early 60s, is known as the Romanet period and was named after the painter's gallerist, Paul Romanet. During this period, Le Pho continued painting on silk - using a thick varnish that modifies the appearance of the colour palette which was more suitable to the artist's new impressionist style, being influenced with his time spent in Paris. \nFinally, the Findlay period, from 1963 to the late 80s, named after an American gallery with whom Le Pho signed a contract (as did his friend and contemporary Vu Cao Dam). During this period, Le Pho returned to painting on canvas using exceptional bright colours unique to his work and still typified in an impressionist style. At the end of the 80's, after suffering from a bad accident, he never painted again. \nWithin these periods, within the great book of life, beyond the chapter, we must aim to identify each page which marks the work of an artist and lead us in the full awareness and understanding of universal beauty, an exceptional moment where the artist's talent meets in perfect harmony with the spectator's sensitivity. \nThe present lot The Concert, is one of Le Pho's major works, unique in composition and extremely important as it provides us with a key insight and understanding of his life in Paris. \nWhen the painter completed our painting, probably in 1938, he was at the peak of his artistic career and excelled in the use of gouache and ink on silk. Up to then, the painter worked mostly on silk; creating representations of beautiful Madonna's and maternities inspired by the European Primitives he spent time observing in museums since his arrival in Paris in 1932. In this period he also practiced on subjects such as evanescent young women, still-life and flowers arrangements. \nThe situation of our artist reminds us of Nguy\u00ean Gia Thi\u00eau (1741-1798) and his masterpiece the Cung Oan Ng\u00e2n Khuc (Sadness of the Palace) because the poet and the painter meet in these verses joining together the Buddhist pessimism on impermanence and the universal grief and the pessimism of the former ruling class, which was disappointed by the T\u00e2y-Son's revolt : \nHow pure was the accent of the cithara in the back of the palace, \nAnd the plaintive flute under the purple veranda! \nThe more their romance vibrated and the more I was exhilarated, \nThe more their rhythm rushed, the more my heart soften. \nTo better understand the context of this painting and to better imagine the scene and the moment of execution, a few facts need to be recalled. In 1931, Le Pho was assisting Victor Tardieu during the Colonial Exhibition in Paris. The International Colonial Exhibition (Exposition Coloniale Internationale) , wasa six-month colonial exhibition held in Paris, France in 1931 that attempted to display the diverse cultures and immense resources of France's colonial possessions. In 1937, he was the artistic director of the Indochina section at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. In the meantime he was teaching at the Hanoi Fine- Art School, his students were brilliant and his talent was well regarded and recognized by the distinguished and cultural circles in Indochina. \nWhat could possibly have pushed a well-heeled man of society of thirty years of age to leave behind a successful life and material comforts for a far away and unknown city? Le Pho had a few recommendations, spoke perfect French but in the late 1930s, Paris was the place where all the artistic talents of the world would gather and congregate together - a gathering of great creative minds and impulses. At that time, Le Pho was just a painter among many trying to conquer not only Montparnasse but also the Parisian galleries. At the very least, following the proactive actions of AGINDO ( The Economical Agency of Indochina) and the 1931 Exhibition - it meant there was already a public awareness there of his art. \nPerhaps he was thinking of these four verses of Chinh Phu Ng\u00e2m (the masterpiece of Vietnamese literature of the late eighteenth century written by Phan Huy Ich):\nEach year the charms further fade; \nMan lingers in distant lands. \nWhy the body and the shadow, never to be separated \nNow are like the evening star and the morning star? \nThis painting is exceptional because it is the manifesto of what makes a man's destiny: the journey, a lifelong quest or as an escape. \nAt the very moment Le Pho was painting this scene, we can imagine him feeling a profound nostalgia for his native homeland. Here we are, far away (as for the iconography) of the Madonnas and yet so strongly influenced by the great European Primitives, beautiful portraits of women wrapped at times in their gentleness or at times in their seduction. \nThe great painter offers us here the phantasmagorical description of a Vietnamese interior full of charm, coming through with an unprecedented force. A beautiful lady musician plays the flute while another evanescent young woman reads a letter (a booklet) behind her fan. The writing can be identified as qu\u00f4c ng\u00fb and we can identify a few words: M\u00f4t v\u00e0i l\u00f2i (a few words), Th\u00f2 vong (resounding breath). The woman in her ao dai enjoying the fan leans nonchalantly on a low Vietnamese style table. The musician seems to actively search, deeply within herself, the music to find the sounds of a lost and loved Vietnam. \nLe Pho used with great mastery the black ink along with soft tones of gouache such as yellow, red, green and blue giving the rich composition a true ethereal lightness. In the right lower corner of the painting, an atypical Vietnamese wicker basket contains a flower arrangement of Asian flowers - the lily, peony and prunus. \nThe effort by the artist to make the scene as Asian as possible is shown in the details in the painting; from the pattern on the notebook's cover placed on the table; or even in the kakemono hanging on the wall. We can discern a Chinese influence probably inspired by Le Pho' s visit in China in 1934 as well as a Japanese influence evoked in the female headdress. Finally an empty background in a green and brown colour reinforces the relationship of the two young women immersed in their scholarly pursuits. \nThis magnificent work was previously exhibited in 1942, in the Galerie Romanet in Algiers (then French Algeria). It was purchased by a well-known French personality and was kept intact in the family to this day, including its French frame (from the early 1940s) which was made specifically for the purpose of this exhibition. A breath-taking work, a masterpiece, this present Lot represents the absolute best in the master painter's oeuvre. \nJean-Fran\u00e7ois Hubert Senior Consultant, Vietnamese Art\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"2560\" width=\"2091\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n<p>Le Pho, Le Concert, 1938<\/p>\n<p><strong>During the first period, we can see the emancipation of a very young and brilliant talent.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Already his work created at the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vietnam_University_of_Fine_Arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"\u00c9cole des Beaux-Arts (s'ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">\u00c9cole des Beaux-Arts<\/a>, under the supervision of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Victor_Tardieu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Victor Tardieu (s'ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">Victor Tardieu<\/a>\u00a0(1870-1937), was successful and recognized by collectors and institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Not to mention his subtle silks in their composition and tones made after his first visit in Europe including Paris (1931-1932).<\/p>\n<p>Or his few lacquers, technically beautiful, he had to abandon due to an allergy to lacquer.\u00a0 This period of enthusiasm, creativity, discovery of new techniques and new countries will freeze during the war.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_9434.png\" alt=\"\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"3125\" width=\"1793\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n<p>Le Pho, La pr\u00e9paration du bouquet, Circa 1956<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Romanet&#8217;s period is charged with the loss of stability in humans and in the events.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>His silks will use the same techniques but his colors will change as if, through more intensity, the work needed to tell instead of being just descriptive ; the painter becomes more conflicting :\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jeanfrancoishubert.com\/en\/2020\/04\/16\/le-pho-le-moment-agreable-around-1938\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"the confucian softness gives way to the harshness of the times. (s'ouvre dans un nouvel onglet)\">the confucian softness gives way to the harshness of the times.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The memory of the war and the nazi barbarism, the state of civil war in Vietnam, the decolonization and its meanders : so many questions trouble the painter who moved definitively in Paris in 1937.<\/p>\n<p>Romanet is the name of the French gallerist who always advised Le Pho and helped him exhibit his work for many years.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In 1963, Le Pho (with his friend\u00a0Vu Cao Dam) will sign a contract near exclusive with the well-known north american gallerist, Wally Findlay.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>He will reorientate the style of the painter, first, in encouraging him towards certain trends he developed in the early 50&#8217;s and, secondly, by modernizing his offer.<\/p>\n<p>The inheritance bear fruit as Le Pho chooses bright colors as he continues his work showing his long last admiration for Matisse.\u00a0 This change will show through the use of strong brush strokes on near exclusively large oils on canvas where color is king.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/IMG_9433.png\" alt=\"\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"2109\" width=\"3200\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n<p>Le Pho, La pr\u00e9paration de l&#8217;\u00e9t\u00e9, circa 1975<\/p>\n<p>Le Pho pursue his art with much enthusiasm as he paints his favorite themes such as the Vietnamese ladies or bunch of flowers (always painted, freshly cut) and, also, because the contract allows him to access the american market, a dream for all european and asian artists.\u00a0 The Findlay&#8217;s period will last close to 20 years till Le Pho was victim of a terrible road accident (in 1990) after which he will never be able to paint again.<\/p>\n<p>These periods, evidently, overlap with each other.\u00a0 Dates should not be seen as strict delimitations, but &#8211; as periods of the past &#8211; and periods of influence.\u00a0 Over the years, a painter allows himself repetitions, repentance and amnesia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I would like, if I&#8217;m allowed, to mention two personal memories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Le Pho, in his apartment Rue de Vaugirard in Paris, would allow his admirers to photograph him with his paint brush in the right hand and his palette in the left hand: but the painting behind him remained unfinished year after year&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Also, one day in 1995, I remember asking him: &#8220;<em>Master, which is your preferred period ?&#8221;<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>With no hesitation, he answered, &#8220;my Findlay period&#8221;.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Hubert<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Le Pho&#8217; s Three Periods: Early Works &#8211; Romanet &#8211; Findlay If we consider Le Pho&#8217;s work over his life (1907-2001), three periods appear, each with a distinct history and style.\u00a0The\u00a0first period\u00a0from the late 20&#8217;s till 1945 is qualified as \u00ab\u00a0early works\u00a0\u00bb,\u00a0the second period, 1946-1962, named the Romanet&#8217;s period\u00a0and finally,\u00a0the Findlay&#8217;s period\u00a0from 1963 to his &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,13,379],"tags":[27,38,28,19,37],"class_list":["post-4358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive","category-fine-art","category-southeast-asian-art","tag-christies","tag-ebai","tag-jean-francois-hubert","tag-le-pho","tag-the-ecole-des-beaux-arts-de-lindochine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4358"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4363,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4358\/revisions\/4363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thucdoan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}