VU CAO DAM (1908-2000)

Lot 6
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Estimation :
15000 - 25000 EUR
VU CAO DAM (1908-2000)
Jeune femme Oil on cardboard, signed lower right 13 1/4 x 9 1/2 in. Vu Cao Dam was born on 8 January 1908 in Hanoi to a well-off Catholic family. The fifth of fourteen children, the artist was influenced by French culture from a very young age, as his father, Vu Dinh Thi (1864-1930), an erudite scholar, was one of the few Vietnamese at the time with in-depth knowledge of French. He was sent to Paris by the government for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, where he was enchanted by the French lifestyle, and passed on his admiration and liking for France to his children. In 1926, Vu Cao Dam entered the Hanoi Fine Arts School, where he studied for five years and where he also became friends with Mai Thu and Le Pho. Here he took classes in drawing, painting and sculpture under the French painter Victor Tardieu, the school’s founder, and Joseph Inguimberty. After graduating from the school in 1931, Vu Cao Dam received a grant that took him to France to continue his studies. This journey marked a turning point in his career. When he was invited to exhibit his sculptures at the 1931 International Colonial Exhibition, he decided to live in France permanently. He then entered the Far East section of the École du Louvre, where he got to know and study great European masterpieces. He was particularly inspired by the works of Renoir, Van Gogh, Bonnard and Matisse, and the creations of Rodin, Despiau and Giacometti. He was also impressed by the Western avant-gardes like the Fauves and the Paris school, who had a considerable influence on his work. Meanwhile, the Colonial Exhibition led to numerous commissions. When the Second World War broke out, Vu Cao Dam had to stop working in bronze, as the metal was requisitioned by the German army. The artist then turned to other materials like terra cotta. He also experimented with other media, particularly painting, with great talent, and produced numerous masterpieces. In 1949, Vu Cao Dam moved to t
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