MAI TRUNG THU (1906-1980)

Lot 5
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Estimation :
200000 - 300000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 258 800EUR
MAI TRUNG THU (1906-1980)
La danse du foulard, 1979 Ink and color on silk, signed and dated lower right. In the original frame made by the artist. 81 x 31 cm - 31 7/8 x 12 1/8 in. If Mai Trung Thu is mainly known for his works on silk, he also handles wood with dexterity when creating the frames accompanying his gouaches. His artistic sensitivity is also expressed through music. Playing the doc-huyen, a traditional string instrument, he participated in concerts during his stay in Paris. He was particularly interested in Hué music, «nhac nhac», which can be translated as «elegant music». Nhac nhac is a collection of traditional music and dance styles that belonged to the royal court of Hué, and is now included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Created during the Le Dynasty (1427-1788), this royal music and dance is a symbol of Vietnam. Mai Thu was an art teacher in Hué for a time and worked with these musicians. Although the artist eventually devoted himself to painting, his love for the note never left him and it was in music that he painted. This attraction is also regularly found at the heart of his work through the many representations of women musicians. La danse du foulard is particularly unique because it deals with another aspect of this performing art. Mai Thu’s depiction of a female dancer is no longer based on musical instruments. She is distinguished by a particularly careful refinement. She does not wear the traditional sober ao dai but a Chinese-influenced outfit made of a superb embroidered fabric. Her collar, which is closed in a wrap-around style and reveals a graceful neck, is made of another fabric evoking the paisley pattern. The attention to detail is also reflected in the very studied hairstyle. A chignon is held in place by a garland of flowers and a flowing headband. The mouth, nicely enhanced with pink, completes this vision of elegance. If this young woman differs from the artist’s usual representations by her rare refinement, a characteristic element is found. The scarf she holds between her arms and the one that encircles her outfit are emblematic. Allowing for a play of movement, these scarves draw a serpentine line, dear to the mannerists of the Renaissance. Produced in the penultimate year of his life, La danse du foulard highlights the artist’s mastery. Although he used the method taught at the Hanoi School of Fine Arts, Mai Thu enriched this technique by proceeding with successive washes of the silk in order to favour the harmony of colours through soft tones. If this work delights the eye of the spectator thanks to its accomplished aestheticism, it evokes also three great passions of the artist. Music, silk work and woodwork are all treated in a remarkable way.
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