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This 49 th auction session reflected the ongoing support of Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, an expert specializing in modern Vietnamese art, for the work of Vietnamese artists who graduated after 1945. Indeed, this generation is more rarely promoted and represented on the international auction market.

« I’m delighted by the vitality of this market, with healthy works presented at thoughtful and reasonable estimates. We are closing the year with a sale in which 89% of the lots were sold, a fine tribute to the artistic production of the post-war years. »

— Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier, Associate Director, Head of Fine Arts and Asian Art Department

Vũ Cao Đàm, with his two small-format oil paintings illustrating the legend of Kiều and Kim, achieved a total of €87,904. These protagonists are the main characters of the masterpiece by Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Du (1765–1820), Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều).In this epic poem, the young Kiều falls in love with Kim, whom she eventually reunites with after many trials of fate. Vũ Cao Đàm captures this story, resonant both with Vietnamese expatriates in France and with Western audiences. In his interpretation, the jade ring exchanged between Kiều and Kim replaces the golden brooch mentioned in Nguyễn Du’s original tale. It is also noteworthy that Kiều is depicted wearing the áo dài, the traditional Vietnamese tunic that emerged as a fashion trend in the 1920s–1930s. This period of intellectual effervescence was marked by a movement toward women’s emancipation, expressed notably through dress and fashion. The ensemble — a long tunic and trousers called the áo dài, once made of dark fabrics — evolved into a garment of bright, light materials, more fitted and close to the body.


Lot 1 - Vũ Cao Đàm (1908-2000)
Le rendez-vous, 1966 sold €49 856


Lot 2 - Vũ Cao Đàm (1908-2000)
L'anneau de jade, Vence, 1954 **sold €38 048

Nguyễn Trung achieved €28,864** with his work Young Nude Woman. The artist was born in 1940 in Vietnam. Although he trained at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts, he did not graduate, having not completed his final year of studies. Very active on the Vietnamese art scene, he co-founded in 1966 the Young Artists Association, an avant-garde group based in Saigon. Nguyễn Trung’s artistic production can be divided into two distinct periods: a figurative phase followed by an abstract one. Young Nude Woman is typical of his early period, characterized by depictions of female figures with simple, delicate features and large eyes. This phase is also marked by the use of bright, vibrant colors. During his later period, Nguyễn Trung moved away from figuration and vivid hues, turning instead toward a minimalist aesthetic that explores philosophical and existential themes.


Lot 8 - Nguyễn Trung (né en 1940)
Jeune femme nue, 1988 sold **€28 864

Bùi Xuân Phái achieved €74,000** with a series of Hanoi cityscapes typical of his work. Born in 1920 near Hanoi, Bùi Xuân Phái belonged to the last generation trained at the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, graduating in 1945. After the war, he settled in Hanoi and devoted most of his work to the Old Quarter (Phố cổ Hà Nội), immortalizing its narrow streets, historic facades, and melancholic atmosphere. Recognized late in life, he was posthumously awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Arts in 1996. A major figure of modern Vietnamese painting, his name remains inseparable from the poetic and timeless image of Hanoi.


Lot 9 - Bùi Xuân Phái (1920-1988)
Rue de Hanoï, 1986 **sold €45 920

Trần Đông Lương stood out with a total of €28,600** for these four sheets. Trained at Viet Bac between 1950 and 1954, he is renowned for his portrait and drawing skills. He adopts an academic style that developed over time, making his work easily recognizable.


Lot 18 - Trần Đông Lương (1925-1993)
Jeune fille assise, 1985 sold €8 660

Next Auction [50] Asian Painters: Modern Vietnamese Art
Thursday, 26 February 2026

For more information or to include a lot in our upcoming auctions, please contact
Charlotte Aguttes-Reynier - Expert
+33 1 41 92 06 49 – +33 6 63 58 21 82 – reynier@aguttes.com