Le Pho (1907-2001)

Lot 15
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Estimation :
60000 - 80000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 149 050EUR
Le Pho (1907-2001)
*Jeune fille aux fleurs de pêcher Oil, ink and gouache on silk, signed lower right 71 x 44.5 cm - 27 7/8 x 17 1/2 in. “Jeunes filles aux fleurs de pêcher is a painting that immediately appealed to me because of its depth, its theme and its technicality. This depth is given by the vegetation behind the fence and the two girls in front of it, and it creates a very special atmosphere that makes us feel part of the scene. The peach flowers are delicate and beautiful. They evoke a whole facet of Vietnamese culture, the Lunar New Year and the ancient Vietnamese legends that lulled my young years. Reputed to bring a new source of energy, joy and love for the coming new year, they reminded me of specific childhood memories in Paris, when I was brought to celebrate Tet with my parents and a Vietnamese community of intellectuals and artists who were all nostalgic for their homeland. At the time, and given my young age, this did not resonate with me. Several years later, when I found myself in front of this painting by Lê Phổ, these memories came flooding back to me and this nostalgia suddenly resurfaced. This sumptuous piece marks a critical moment in the evolution of the great master's technique, as he experiments with oil on silk. The face of the young girl intrigued me. As if he wanted to preserve the identity of the beautiful young girl dressed in white, the painter traced the contours of a face that seems wonderful but without revealing its features. He has thus introduced a diffuse feeling of mystery. Hidden love of the painter, rebellious muse... everything can be imagined and this "secret" gave this painting a strong additional dimension in my collection.” Discussion with Dr . D., collector (extract) An iconic artist from the first graduating class of the Hanoi School of Fine Arts, Lê Phổ distinguished himself with three different styles. Young Girl with Peach Blossoms is made in the late 1940s and borrows from a style halfway between his training received in Hanoi and the one that characterizes his mature years. This work is thus part of a major turning point in the artist’s career and bears admirable witness to the painter’s pictorial research, which was then in full transition. Having lived in France for several years, Lê Phổ perfected his culture and his learning through exposure to French museums and various artistic movements. The strength of Young Girl with Peach Blossoms lies in the syncretism of these diverse influences. The 1940s were marked by the discovery of color. This color was the prerogative of the Impressionists who were the first to grasp its importance. Followed by the Nabis, a post-impressionist movement advocating a liberated use of color. Under the influ - ence of these movements, Lê Phổ’s palette was liberated. Encouraged by the use of oil allowing a greater play of colors, other tones blossom alongside the initial darker hues: sky blue, yellow ochre, powdery pink, acid green come to shimmer on the silk. The black ring is less systematic and tends to a mouse gray softening the tints. The color which was secondary in the first works of the artist becomes a key element animating the composition, recalling the words of the nabi Pierre Bonnard «It is not a question of painting life, but of making painting alive».  Moreover, the liberation from the precepts received during his training in Hanoi, is also manifested by the deconstruction of plans. Following the example of the Nabis who used color to reshape the different fields, Lê Phổ revisits the traditional plans. The first plan offers a bouquet of flowers in a vase in the center, followed by two young women leaning over a second basket of flowers in the background. In the background is a garden behind a balcony. The perspective is not faithful to reality but only suggested by the different flat colors. The composition arrangement is particularly innovative. Abandoning the classical rules of portraiture or genre scenes, Lê Phổ places both the bouquet of flowers and the young women as subjects in their own right without concern for ratios of scale. While this work exhibits a modernism and technical evolution marked by the discovery of French artistic currents, it nevertheless retains strongly traditional elements. Lê Phổ still chooses silk as a support, a medium that is very difficult to master and does not allow for any repentance. The delicacy of Young Girl with Peach Blossoms is all the more touching. Furthermore, the artist takes up a subject evocative of his country. Thus, the young women respond to Asian canons. Even though they are slightly sketched, the fine features on their faces with their porcelain complexion and their ebony hair remind us of their origins. Wearing the traditional dress called áo dài, they display a true elegance and grace. The peach flowers also evoke Vietnam. Originally symbolizing immortality, they are now inseparable from the Tet festival, celebrating the Lunar New Year, the most important event in Vietnam. Announcing the arrival of spring, they bring luck and prosperity. An artist with an ever-evolving talent, Lê Phổ has been able to draw inspiration from his origins but also from the influences that surround him in order to produce a unique style mixing Western art with Far Eastern art. The transversality of influences is essential, just like the Nabis who were inspired by Japanese prints in their abolition of shots. 
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