PARIS Rare and extraordinary works by painters who belonged to the first generation of Vietnamese artists, will go under hammer at an auction by Sotheby’s Paris on November 7.

The pieces hail from the personal collection of notable Vietnamese patron of the arts, Prince Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lộc (1914-1990), a scholar and collector who befriended the artists he admired and lived surrounded by art.

The auction, entitled Magnificence and Regality, will offer works created between around 1935 and 1970 in various forms, including delicately painted silk masterpieces, magnificent lacquer screens and exceptional examples of Vietnamese modern art.

The fine art collection includes works by three Vietnamese pioneering artists – Lê Phổ (1907 – 2001), Vũ Cao Đàm (1908 – 2000) and Nguyễn Tường Lân (1906 – 1946) – “who helped establish a new canon of Vietnamese art, elevating traditional crafts to modern forms of expression,” the auction house wrote.

‘Lady with The Veil’ by Lê Phổ. — Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

“Together the artworks in the collection reflect a prevailing passion for Việt Nam and its traditions, a nostalgic desire for harmony and the fruits of lifelong friendships with artists.”

The paintings include Mandarin Ducks and Lotus (ink and gouache on silk), Lady with The Veil (ink and gouache on silk), and Family Teatime (oil on silk mounted on panel), and Mother and Daughter with Iris (oil on canvas) by Lê Phổ who is best known for his idyllic paintings of flowers and women in áo dài dresses. His works are among those in the highest demand in the Southeast Asian market.

His works are estimated to sell for between 80,000 euros and 500,000 euros (US$84,000-526,000).

‘Cockfight’ by Vũ Cao Đàm. — Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

Two ink-and-gouache-on-silk paintings by Vũ Cao Đàm, Liliums and Cockfight, have been estimated to fetch between 150,000 euros and 250,000 euros ($158,000-236,000).

A painter and sculptor whose mixture of traditional Vietnamese painting and Western painting techniques mostly centred on landscapes and figure painting, Đàm was often inspired by folklore and poems from his native homeland.

Repose (ink and gouache on silk) – the only work by Nguyễn Tường Lân available at the auction, has also been evaluated to gain the price between 150,000 euros and 250,000 euros. Lân was one of the famous artist quartet “Trí – Vân – Lân – Cẩn” referring most outstanding painters of the first generation of the Indochina Fine Arts College from 1924.

The auction will also offer a nine-part lacquer painting depicting the village market scene. Executed circa 1950 at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Hanoi, the 182cm-by-252cm work has been estimated to be sold at the price of 100,000-200,000 euros ($105,000-210,000)

The auction will be preceded by a public exhibition in Sotheby’s Paris galleries, from November 3-6. — VNS