LE PHO (1907-2001)

Lot 33
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Estimation :
40000 - 60000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 87 100EUR
LE PHO (1907-2001)
La couture Ink and color on silk, signed upper right 30.5 x 23 cm - 12 x 9 in. Ancestral manual work, sewing has imposed itself as a source of inspiration prized by artists. Belonging to genre painting, this theme developed widely from the 17th century. Opening their horizons to other themes than religious painting, artists devoted themselves to a new representation: that of daily life. The tasks of everyday life became subjects in their own right and customary activities were sublimated. The representation and respect of the working woman developed over the centuries. Flemish, naturalists or impressionists, artists used their talent to sublimate the work of these women. Sewing, a feminine activity par excellence, is often depicted through the eyes and style of each artist. Thus, if Le Pho’s La Couture takes up a Western theme and its treatment recalls the artist’s Vietnamese origins. Adopting the traditional Western three-quarter stance, this young woman with lowered eyes, concentrated, resumes the Asian canons. Her porcelain complexion, her ebony hair and the wearing of the ao dai as well as the traditional headdress make this model a feminine ideal. Her graceful gesture carried by the delicacy of her long hands reminds us of the softness of the women of her country. Her skillfully mastered technique allows a composition full of softness. The refined palette is applied with harmony and allows the colors to play in mirror. Thus, the white of the fabric is found discreetly on the collar but also on the headdress. The red background, more in keeping with an Asian aesthetic, is recalled by a discreet touch on the edges of the table. Thanks to an admirable mastery of ink on silk, Le Pho manages to revisit the traditional representation of seamstresses. Halfway between East and West, this work offers a perfect synthesis of two cultures.
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