VU CAO DAM (1908-2000)

  2. Result
  3. VU CAO DAM (1908-2000)
  4. Lot n° 4 
Lot n° 4
Go to lot
Estimation :
200000 - 300000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 309 840EUR
VU CAO DAM (1908-2000)
Le culte des ancêtres, 1942 78.5 x 47.5 cm à vue - 30 7/8 x 18 3/4 in by sight Ink and color on silk, signed and dated upper right A country marked by multiple influences that have made its history, Vietnam is enriched by a plurality of cultures and religions. Where Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Catholicism coexist peacefully, the country is also marked by its own ancestral traditions. Among them, ancestor worship is an essential custom. Permanently associating the world of the living with that of the deceased, the Vietnamese used to call upon the departed ancestors to call for their protection but also that of their land. Based on the respect of filiation and the duty of piety, this rite, although ancestral, has developed thanks to the influences that have marked the peninsula. Originally, only the subjects had a duty of piety towards their sovereign, but the development of Confucian thought extended this concept to the family structure. The principles of respect and submission to the family hierarchy governed ancestor worship. Several times a year, the deceased are celebrated, notably on the anniversary of their death, but also during the Tet festival, the beginning of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. These practices are codified by a precise and hierarchical ritual. Taking place in the home, this cult is an intimate affair. A high piece of furniture or a board forming the altar holds the tablets of the deceased, a small pot in which incense sticks are planted as well as other bowls and various offerings. The incense establishes a spiritual link and carries prayers to heaven through its smoke. According to tradition, incense sticks must be burned in an odd number. Ancestor worship is a thousand-year-old practice that defines Annamese society and underlines the deep respect for ancestors and traditions. Although this practice is customary in Vietnam, its representation is not as prolific. The creation of the Indochina School of Fine Arts in 1925 by Victor Tardieu allowed the country to have a more artistic approach to creations. Indeed, the school allows its students to have an artist’s vision and not only a craftsman’s one. The works are no longer solely dedicated to religion but are now dedicated to the Beautiful. Vu Cao Dam is one of these pioneering artists. He is the valedictorian of the second class and has a marvelous mastery of silk painting. Combining an ancestral technique with a more Western mastery, the students are thus renewing their ties with tradition while contributing to the development of contemporary Indochinese art. In the Culte des ancêtres, Vu Cao Dam gives an original account of his country’s culture. Two young women are depicted next to the ancestor altar set on a high carved wooden table. A bowl is placed on the top and contains several incense sticks, as well as a red vase and another bowl. One of the women kneels facing the altar, dressed in white, the colour of mourning, her hands in prayer. Her bowed face and closed eyes complete the attitude of contemplation. The second woman, standing with one hand on the face, adopts a benevolent attitude. Although regularly inspired by women, Vu Cao Dam shows a resolutely modern vision by choosing them as models in this ancestral rite. Indeed, traditionally, only sons, and more particularly the elders, are responsible for looking after the ancestors’ altar. This choice reflects his quest for modernity made possible by an artistic expression based on two complementary cultures. The use of colour on silk is a testament to the master’s skill, as this technique allows no repentance. The soft palette is subtly enhanced by brighter colours such as the red of the vase or the lavender of the traditional dress. Marked by the Western precepts of his teaching, Vu Cao Dam goes beyond them by affirming his attachment to his native culture. Thanks to a new perspective but also to the use of a modernised medium, he offers an innovative vision underlining the respect of the ancestors, a fundamental value dear to Vietnam, but also contributing to recognise the place of women in this evolving society.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue